


Catamite

by meyari



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Dark, M/M, Masturbation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-01-06
Updated: 2013-04-29
Packaged: 2017-10-05 21:53:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 26
Words: 79,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meyari/pseuds/meyari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lex Luthor started something far larger than he expected when he kidnapped the latest Robin to use as bait for a trap.  Tim Drake began a very long journey of discovery in that moment that left everything and everyone around him changed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [darthbatgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=darthbatgirl).



Lex smiled.

He was a lovely little catamite dressed in that ridiculous costume. It was perfectly designed to show off what he was offering. Lex's people had bound him appropriately, leaving the bright costume for Lex to remove. Tim, the little Robin, struggled against the bonds spreading him open. His human strength wasn't going to be effective against bonds that would hold Superman securely. His toes just barely touched the ground. His legs were spread so wide that Lex could literally do anything he wanted to the boy's body, which was of course the point of this particular exercise.

"Very nice," Lex said. He checked the time as he walked around Tim. He had a good ten minutes before Batman and Superman could get in here. Plenty of time. "Very nice indeed. I can see why the Batman has you wear this outfit."

Lex deliberately stroked Tim's ass and slid a finger between his cheeks. Tim made a strangled, infuriated noise behind the gag securely fastened around his mouth. It nicely held back his furious ranting. Lex chuckled. He pressed up against Tim's back while running his hands along Tim's sides. Tim squirmed as if Lex's touch made him feel slimy. How appropriate. That was exactly what Lex was going for.

"Oh don't worry," Lex said as he reached around Tim to undo the vest. "I won't hurt you. Much."

Lex could almost understand the cursing despite the gag. A boy of his age ought not have that sort of command of expletives, no matter how he'd been raised. He snorted in Tim's ear and pinched one of his nipples hard enough to cut the ranting off mid-word.

"Now, now, there's no need for language like that," Lex said smoothly. He set his lips against Tim's ear as he spoke just to feel the way Tim shuddered away from him. "I have no interest in harming you permanently. You're bait. Quite attractive, quite… appealing… bait."

Tim gasped as Lex slid his hand into the tight shorts. He palmed a fierce erection that had formed since Lex walked around Tim. Lex smirked. He'd always known that Batman was more than a father figure to his Robins. Nice to know that he was training his little catamites well. Tim was hard as a rock under Lex's hand.

Lex started stroking him just a bit too firmly for Tim's comfort. To his amusement Tim's hips rocked in time with Lex's hand. Lex chuckled. His staff had left scissors close at hand so Lex cut his shorts so that Tim was properly exposed. He only cut one side, letting the shorts dangle off of Tim's other thigh. Tim whined behind his gag, squirming as the half removal of his shorts left him all the more exposed for the reminder of having been protected.

"That's much better," Lex murmured into Tim's ear. This time he didn't turn his head away though he did still shudder at the feel of Lex's lips against his skin. " I suppose you like the way they feel, the way they make your body look. They're so very tight. They must expose your body as much as they hide it. Mmmm, this suit does look good on you."

He nuzzled Tim's neck and then bit hard at the junction of neck and shoulder. Tim's scream was mingled ecstasy and outrage. The chains holding him rattled as he bucked back against Lex's hips. Lex smiled at the livid mark on his neck, kissing it gently. He checked the time and nodded. Superman and Batman would be there soon.

He began stroking Tim faster and harder while pinching one nipple. The little trick with his finger and thumb combined with the flick of his wrist had Tim bucking into his hand, not struggling to get away from him. Lex laughed into his ear, running his teeth over the bite mark. That was all it took for Tim came hard. He cried out, tears of frustration at his response to Lex on his cheeks.

"Perfect," Lex murmured tenderly into Tim's ear. He wiped his hand off on Tim's stomach, making the boy shudder. "You couldn't be better bait if you tried, dear boy."

A crash sounded through the building. Lex grinned, patting Tim's bare ass. Seeing the boy this way would do far more to distract the heroes than almost anything else. This should be a highly effective ploy.

"Time to get to work," Lex said, turning and walking away from Tim without a second thought.

+++++

They'd kicked his ass six ways to Sunday. Bruce and Clark had both gone a little mad when they'd seen him suspended there covered in his own come. Once they'd freed him the three of them had beaten Lex Luthor into the ground. Bruce and Clark had gotten their licks in, as had Time once he'd secured his shorts again. Lex wasn't in jail. He was in the prison hospital where they were going to reconstruct his face. Superman had had to pull Tim off. Bruce wasn't strong enough once Tim got going on the fucking pervert.

The trip back home had been uncomfortable to say the least. The whole Bat clan was hovering now that they were back at the manor. He knew that they were worried about him. He could hardly miss them whispering to each other when they thought he wasn't paying attention. After one too many looks of sympathy mixed with pity Tim stomped off to his room. He didn't need them. He didn't need their pity. He sure as hell didn't want all their carefully worded 'advice' on how to 'cope' with the 'event'.

"Fuck."

It wasn't some sort of event. Lex had used him like some screaming damsel in distress and he'd paid the price for his mistake of judgment. Tim was fine. He only had one hickie and some bruises around his wrists and ankles. He'd had way worse many times.

Tim sighed with relief once he'd locked the bedroom door. He blocked it with a chair because locks slowed no one in this place down. He didn't put it past them to decide to check on him despite the locked door. He went to the bathroom and locked _that_ door and then climbed into the shower. He needed a decade long shower full of scalding hot water to wash himself clean. The shower in the cave wasn't enough to cleanse himself of Lex Luthor's touch.

"Damn it," Tim shuddered after about twenty minutes under the water's spray.

The water had cooled enough that it felt more like fingers trailing down his body than water. Tim leaned against the shower wall, resting his forehead against the cool tile. He stared at the marks on his wrists. Livid bruises left from the shackles that Lex had used to restrain him ringed each arm. Tim ran a finger over one wrist, hissing at the pain. He wasn't getting hard. He wasn't getting off on having been bound and damn near raped by one of the most twisted people on the planet. Lex's smile appeared behind his eyelids when he blinked.

"No," Tim groaned. He shut his eyes. His twisted smile bloomed again. "Not a catamite. Not."

Tim let his fingers trail along the path that Lex's fingers had followed along his ribs. He shivered. It felt too damned good. He fought with himself for a long moment and then let his hand descend to his groin. Tim's hand wasn't as wide as Lex's. It felt just as damned good as he copied Lex's movements. It took him a few strokes to figure out the twist and flick thing that Lex had done. As soon as he did Tim's knees started shaking with arousal. Tim panted and touched the mark on his neck that Lex had put there. He dug his nails into it. Pain flared through him, with arousal spiking immediately afterwards. He went up on his toes as he came entirely too quickly.

"Not his," Tim panted, wishing that the water could wash it all away. "Not his. Not a catamite. Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

He wasn't sure he wanted it washed away. He wasn't sure what he wanted. Tim shut off the water and toweled off. The memory of Lex's lips and the feel of his hand on Tim's body were branded in his mind. He should have beaten Lex harder, not that it would have made it all go away.


	2. Seduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim realizes that the aftermath of his kidnapping goes a lot deeper than he expected while Lex makes plans to bring his little catamite home.

"Nnngh!" Tim shuddered and squirmed away from Roy's touch. He didn't want to but everything Roy did tonight was setting him off in all the wrong ways.

"Hey, are you all right?" Roy asked. He looked at Tim with concern before reaching a careful hand out to touch Tim's cheek.

"I'm fine," Tim said.

He said it as firmly as he could. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself that it was true. He was trying to convince himself. He didn't want it to be obvious to everyone else that he was having trouble in the aftermath of Luthor's kidnapping and molestation. It was hard enough dealing with the crap without everyone's intrusive sympathy.

"Tim, it's me," Roy said. "You don't have to pretend with me. If you're not fine, you're not fine."

"No, it's just…" Tim sighed as he rubbed his hands over his face, "hard, you know? That bastard really got to me."

"We can take a break for a while," Roy offered. He didn't look especially happy about it but he seemed serious. "I don't want to hurt you, Tim. Not that you're fragile or something but if this is freaking you out it's fine."

Tim looked at Roy, hesitating. He'd thought that having someone else's hands on his body would wipe out the sense memory of Lex's lips and hands on his body. Instead all Roy's touch had done was make him squirm uncomfortably. He was too gentle, too kind. Tim wondered if Lex had done something to him. It was like his body had been reset to want roughness and pain instead of love. There had to be something wrong with him that he had enjoyed being abused more than being taken care of.

"You're not going to be upset?" Tim asked after a long moment struggling with himself.

"Fuck no," Roy said. He sat up, grabbing his shirt off of the side of the bed. "Tim, I'm serious. If you need time, just say so. Luthor's a twisted bastard. I'm not surprised there's some aftermath. How about some games or something instead?"

"No, I think I'm going out on patrol," Tim said. He was almost embarrassed how relieved he was that Roy had accepted it easily. He wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Hopefully Roy would give him time to figure this out. "I feel this need to really beat up some criminals."

"What a hand?" Roy asked, frowning at Tim.

"Nah," Tim said cockily. "I'll be fine. I want to do it on my own, you know?"

"Okay," Roy said. "But you better holler if you get in trouble."

"I promise," Tim said dead seriously. "Trust me, I'm not going to let myself get into a bad place again."

"Good," Roy said.

He leaned down and brushed a far too gentle kiss over Tim's lips. Tim moaned and caught him, deepening the kiss. He tried to say thank you through the kiss. From the way Roy chuckled and smiled it seemed like he might have understood Tim's wordless apology.

Tim spent several hours out patrolling, stopping several crimes in progress and leaving the perps for the police. He didn't realize until nearly 1:00 am where he'd gone until he found himself standing opposite the prison. Tim hesitated for a long moment, staring at the building where Lex Luthor was being kept until his latest trial.

He was still furious at Lex for what he'd done. That was a line that shouldn't be crossed, especially for something as petty as slowing down Batman and Superman. He was pretty sure that Lex had no clue who Tim really was. He hadn't cared at all about Tim. He'd only used him and then calmly walked away.

Tim winced as he realized that it was Lex turning and walking away without a thought that made him the angriest. If Lex had been affected by it, had actually known and cared who Tim was, it wouldn't bug him half as much.

"You all right?"

Tim jumped and whirled, glaring at Batman. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking on you."

Bruce didn't sound even slightly repentant. He looked at Tim calmly, standing in the shadows as if it was only to be expected that he'd be here. Tim supposed that it was to be expected. Bruce had been something very like a father figure for a long time now.

"I'm fine," Tim sighed, turning back to the prison. "Just mad."

"You sure?" Bruce asked. He put his hand on Tim's shoulder, the weight reassuring at the same time it was annoying.

"I'm sure," Tim said.

Bruce squeezed his shoulder after a moment before disappearing back into the darkness. Tim shook his head. He suspected that Roy was out in the darkness keeping watch. Clark had said outright that he'd be listening to make sure that nothing happened to Tim. Dick and Jason were probably out there watching over him as well as everyone else.

"More capes and masks in this area than anywhere else in the world right now," Tim said wryly. He shrugged and headed back to his Ducati. He felt better for having gone out on patrol. A good night's sleep and Luthor getting more than a slap on the wrist were all that he needed to be back to normal.

+++++

Lex smirked as he walked out of the courtroom. He was free yet again. It was almost sad how easy it was getting off when his enemies threw him in jail. They didn't seem to realize that the best they could hope for was to put him in jail for a few weeks. He didn't reply to any of the reporters' shouted questions. He kept a calm, confident smirk on his face as he slid into the safety of his limo.

"Home," Lex ordered.

Lex looked out at the city, pondering what to do next. He knew what he wanted. It was simply a matter of how to get it, or rather him. Superman and Batman would object rather strongly to Lex's designs, not that he cared what their opinions would be. Tim had been delicious in their brief encounter. Lex was quite certain that the young man had enjoyed what he had done to him. Tim was doing a lovely job of pretending to be a hero but Lex knew what he truly wanted.

He wanted to be a catamite. He wanted to be Lex's slave. He wanted to be taken and used. His reactions during the time with Lex had shown that. Lex smiled, looking out the window at the city passing by. Yes, he knew what Tim really needed. Fortunately for both of them it was what Lex wanted as well. It would take some careful work but Lex had already decided that he would take what he wanted.

It was an easy matter to arrange for complete surveillance. Lex gathered quite a collection of recordings and images of Tim. It wasn't as extensive as his information on Superman but Lex had no doubt that quite quickly it would surpass that collection. He watched Superman because he was a threat to the planet. His reasons for watching Tim were quite… different.

"How amusing," Lex chuckled after a month of surveillance that revealed that Tim watched him as much as he watched the boy. "He's watching me as I'm watching him."

Lex smirked out the window of his penthouse at the young Robin perched on the roof opposite. He couldn't see him with the unaided eye but his monitors had shown him exactly where Tim was. Lex lifted his glass of brandy in toast to Tim, talking a sip and deliberately licking his lips. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tim shudder on the monitors.

Tim stood and hurried away. Lex laughed as he replayed the recording. Tim's shorts were taunt from the erection within.

"Oh my, this will be fun," Lex murmured. "You're already mine, Tim Drake. It's only a matter of convincing you of it and weaning you away from those do-gooders you call friends."

+++++

Tim felt like he was in a masquerade except the mask he wore was one that hid what he really was. No one else knew his life had become a metaphorical costume party. He was doing a decent job of getting back to normal with the help of his mental mask. He went on patrol. He went to school. He talked to and occasionally made out with Roy, though that never went that far. Tim couldn't do that with Roy anymore. It tore his heart out every time he saw Roy's worried, disappointed expression.

Everything he did was fake, just a mask that he put on to hide the fear that was consuming him from the inside out.

Roy's kisses didn't taste as sweet. His touch brought discontent rather than satisfaction. Tim still loved Roy. His heart hurt sometimes at how much he loved Roy, but his body didn't want him. His heart knew where it wanted to be, which is why he kept trying to overcome his reluctance to be touched.

His body had other ideas.

Tim found himself on the roof opposite Lex Luthor's penthouse at the end of a long week of lying to himself and everyone else. Roy hadn't said that he was getting frustrated but it showed. Tim wrapped up in his cape, studying Lex. He couldn't figure out how Lex had changed him so utterly in such a brief encounter. Lex must have done something but Tim had no clue what it was other than waking feelings that he'd been trying to deny for a long, long time.

Lex looked at something on his computer, smirking just like he had when Tim had been his captive. As Tim watched he went to the bar and got a glass of brandy, coming to stand in front of the windows like the owned the entire city.

Lex looked straight into Tim's eyes and smirked.

Tim gasped, frozen in place by the expression on Lex's face. He watched as Lex lifted his brandy in a little toast to Tim and sipped. The way he licked his lips, exposing his teeth for just a moment, made Tim's groin harden so abruptly that his shorts were painful and his head swam. Tim shuddered and stood, hurrying away. He could almost hear Lex's laugh in his mind.

Roy, he needed to find Roy. He couldn't admit to Roy what was going on but maybe Roy would figure it out. Maybe he could rip off the mask that the experience with Lex had put over Tim's face.

Tim hated himself for wanting Lex to be the one to make the masquerade end.

+++++

"That's not acceptable," Lex murmured as he watched another man touching _his_ Robin. "We'll have to do something about that."

The thought that Tim had run away from Lex straight into the arms of another man infuriated him. Lex set his people to finding out everything there was to know about Tim's young paramour. He turned out to have entirely too complicated a background for Lex to simply murder him but given the interactions that Lex watched between them over the next several days it wouldn't take much to split them up. Tim's behavior gave away his growing dissatisfaction with their relationship.

"Hmm, I must find a way to interact with him directly," Lex said as he reviewed the data that had been gathered while watching Tim shower. "Something that won't leave me open to that pest interfering."

Lex frowned. It wasn't only Superman that he worried about. Batman was likely to interfere, as was Roy Harper. This would have to be handled quite delicately if he was to get what he wanted. It wasn't enough for Lex to merely take Tim away from Roy and his present life. He wanted Tim's love as well as his body. He needed it. It was the only way that he could be certain that Tim would be fully his.

"Mercy," Lex called several days later. "I'm going out."

"Will you need an escort, sir?" Mercy asked, her eyes resting on the photos of Tim littering his desk.

"No," Lex said. "Arrange for a… distraction for Superman. A loud one. Nothing harmful, just enough to keep him busy for a little while."

"Yes sir," Mercy said with a minute sigh. "Shall I warn the lawyers as well?"

"Of course," Lex nodded. "It's inevitable that those buffoons will arrest me yet again. Make sure that the lawyers are ready to get me out. I need to be free within a week."

"Yes sir."

Mercy held the door for him, turning crisply to carry out his orders. Lex smirked as he headed down to the cars. He had a magician to visit and then he'd spend a little time rotting in jail. Once he was free again Tim Drake would be his and there was nothing that Roy Harper, Superman or Batman could do about it. Tim would make the choice of his own free will.

"He's already mine, after all," Lex murmured as he drove out onto the street. "They simply don't realize it yet."

+++++

"Let's have a drink."

Tim looked up at Roy and stared at him for a long moment. Roy had his hand out to Tim in an unmistakable offer. Tim looked at it and then nodded as he took Roy's hand and stood. Roy frowned, cupping Tim's cheek with his other hand.

"You're really out of it lately," Roy commented. His worried frown reappeared as he caressed Tim's cheek with his thumb.

"Sorry," Tim said, shrugging. "Things have been really crazy lately."

"All the more reason to get out of here and go have a drink," Roy declared. "Come on, we'll ride into Metropolis and hit that coffee shop you like so much."

"And here I was hoping for something stronger than that," Tim mock-sighed, grinning at the way Roy glared at him. "Come on, joke. Coffee isn't what you think when someone says 'drink' and you know it."

Roy obediently laughed but there was a thread of worry in his voice. His eyes dwelled on Tim just a little too long. They took their bikes and roared into Metropolis, weaving through traffic while playfully racing each other. It felt good to cut loose and enjoy himself. He'd spent way too much time worrying about Lex and Roy in the last couple of months. He knew he was tying himself in knots but he couldn't seem to stop.

If it had been nighttime he'd have been more nervous but it was the middle of the day, Saturday. It was as bright and beautiful of a day as he could remember in the last decade or so. Roy grinned at him as they parked. He walked proudly by Tim's side, as if getting to go out with Tim was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Tim found himself letting the Luthor thing go so that he could simply enjoy Roy's presence.

They sat in the coffee shop for over an hour, chatting about Lian and Dick and Jason. They laughed about Bruce and Clark's poorly hidden relationship. Tim had a coffee and then a hot chocolate, enjoying the sweet hot goodness. Roy laughed quietly at him, sticking to his cappuccino. Eventually they agreed to catch a matinee together and got up to leave.

"Pit stop first," Tim said, pointing to the bathroom.

"Sounds good to me," Roy said, taking Tim's hand and squeezing it. "Glad that we did this."

"Me too," Tim said, smiling at Roy. "I think I needed this. Thanks Roy."

He pulled Roy down for a quick kiss before slipping into the bathroom. Roy chuckled and followed him. Tim smiled at Roy's image in the mirror. Maybe things would work out after all. He just needed to stop thinking about it so hard. Roy loved him. He loved Roy. He'd get used to denying his body what it wanted eventually. It would be all right.

Someday.

+++++

Lex smiled.

Finally. It had taken an additional week after his release from jail but finally Tim was in range of the magic mirror spell he'd commissioned. The mirror in the special room in his penthouse showed Tim Drake and Roy Harper entering a restroom together. Lex waited while they did their business, smiling triumphantly as Tim finished first and came to wash his hands in front of the mirror.

"Tim," Lex said.

Tim went white, freezing in place with his hands under the water. He looked up slowly to stare into Lex's eyes. Lex smirked at him, delighted in the way Tim shuddered. His eyes visibly dilated with arousal. Yes indeed, Tim was his. All that remained was claiming him and keeping the superheroes from stealing him back.

"No," Tim breathed.

"Oh yes," Lex murmured. "I've been watching, little bird. I've been waiting. It's time. No more waiting or confusion. It's time to take what we both want."

"I can't," Tim whispered, casting a desperate look over his shoulder to the stall holding Roy Harper.

"You can," Lex said.

He reached through the mirror's surface to touch the spot on Tim's neck that Lex had marked. Tim started and then moaned. He reached up to grasp Lex's arm, his wet hands leaving a damp spot on Lex's sleeve. Lex pulled at him, dragging him towards the mirror. Tim whimpered as he shut off the water automatically. He climbed up onto the counter, leaning into Lex's arms. He was panting with arousal. His fingers were locked so tightly into Lex's shirtsleeve that Lex wasn't sure that he would be able to get Tim loose.

"Tim!" Roy shouted from the background.

"Too late," Lex said to Roy as Tim slid through the magic mirror to Lex's penthouse. "Surely you didn't think that he was really yours after he cut you off."

Once Tim was through the spell faded, giving Lex the brief image of Roy shouting and attacking the mirror as if he could get Tim back. Lex chuckled. It was already too late by the time Roy had exited the bathroom stall. Lex looked at the image of Tim in his arms. Finally. He had what he'd wanted and no one could come between them anymore.

"How?" Tim asked, shivering in Lex's arms.

"Magic of course," Lex said, carrying Tim over to the large bed centrally placed in the room. "You're safe here now, Tim."

"You know who I am," Tim whimpered.

"Of course," Lex said, raising an eyebrow at him. "I always knew who you were. There was nothing random at all in what I did to you. There will never be anything random about what I do to you. Its time to give you what we both know you need."

Tim shuddered as if that was the sexiest thing he'd ever heard. He actively helped Lex strip his clothes off. He let Lex bind his wrists to the bolts secured to the wall. He whimpered needily as Lex bit his neck, throat and stomach, leaving marks in each place his teeth touched. He shouted as Lex bit his inner thigh, a wordless exclamation of ecstasy and need. Lex pulled the lube out of his pocket, slicking up his fingers while nuzzling the bite on Tim's leg.

"You like this," Lex purred. He rubbed his thumb over the blooming bruise, smirking at the way Tim trembled.

"Yes," Tim admitted. He blushed so hard that he went red down to his toenails.

"Good boy," Lex said, rewarding Tim with a finger thrust deep inside of Tim's ass. He found Tim's prostate easily, stimulating him in ways he obviously had no experience with.

Tim shuddered and sobbed. He fought against the stimulation for a few moments before relaxing so completely that he became nearly boneless under Lex's hands. Lex smirked as he stripped down. Oh yes, this was going to be entirely too rewarding. Tim was a natural. He was so obviously suited for being a sexual slave that it was almost amusing, had it not been so damned arousing. Lex did apply a condom despite Tim's whimpers at the delay.

"This is what you need," Lex growled as he spread Tim out and took him hard. "This is what you _are_."

"Yes!" Tim shouted. He clamped down around Lex. He came hard enough to stripe his chin, making Lex grin at him.

"Who do you want?" Lex demanded. He continued to pound him into the mattress despite Tim's orgasm.

"You!"

"Who do you belong to?" Lex asked. His arousal rose at Tim's submission, his active enjoyment of their sex.

"You!" Tim wailed the word. He stared up at Lex with eyes that held mixed lust, fear and shame. "Yours! I'm yours!"

"Yes!" Lex shouted as he filled the condom.

Lex rode out the orgasm and then subsided next to Tim on the bed. They panted, their breath mingling. Lex smirked and stroked Tim's stomach. He offered his messy fingers to Tim. Tim blushed again, shuddering before opening his mouth to suck Lex's fingers clean.

"That's my little catamite," Lex murmured.

"Mmmm…" Tim whimpered.

His tongue teased at Lex's fingers, promising so much more next time around. Lex could see some sorrow in his expression but it was mostly hidden under his obvious enjoyment. Lex smirked. Yes, Tim truly was his. He'd do what he had to to make sure that he stayed Lex's too.

+++++

"Tim!" Roy shouted as he tried to catch Tim before he slid all the way through the magic mirror.

His fingertips barely brushed the heel of Tim's boot. It was too late. Tim had already slid through into Lex's arms and Roy's fingers impacted glass, not leather and composite. The image of Lex holding Tim as though he owned him enraged Roy. Tim looked frightened but grateful, as though Lex had just saved him from something horrible.

"Too late," Lex said to Roy. His voice faded as he spoke. "Surely you didn't think that he was really yours after he cut you off."

Roy shouted again, slamming a fist into the mirror where Luthor's jaw was. The mirror shattered, cutting Roy's fist. He cursed more loudly as the staff came in to stare at him horrified. He wrapped his hand in an offered towel before desperately calling Bruce. If anyone could figure out what the hell just happened it was Bruce, who would inevitably bring in Clark. Bruce's voice went ice-cold once he'd heard what had happened to Tim. There was a whoosh as Bruce hung up. Roy turned, already knowing who would be standing there.

"What happened?" Superman asked as Roy shut his phone and put it away.

"Luthor," Roy said. He stared to shake as he stared at the magic mirror that had stolen his lover. "He pulled Tim through the mirror, kidnapped him."

"We'll get him back," Superman promised as he rested a warm hand on Roy's shoulder. "What exactly happened? Anything you can tell me will help us track Tim down."

Roy nodded and told Superman everything that had happened over the last several months. So many little things seemed much more important now, especially Tim's reluctance to be touched. Bruce showed up in his Batman suit about a half an hour later. The speed of his arrival told Roy that he'd broken ever speed law in existence getting there. Batman and Superman both failed to figure out what had happened. They called on Zatana who showed up shortly after the shop closed up.

"This would have been easier if you hadn't broken the mirror," Zatana murmured. She whispered gibberish while peering at the fragmented mirror.

"Sorry," Roy said unapologetically.

His hand throbbed. His heart kept trying to pound it's way through his chest. Tim. He had to get Tim back. Who knew what the fuck Luthor was doing to Tim right now? The sick fuck had all but raped Tim before. He must have used magic to make Tim go through the mirror, to make him want what Lex was offering.

"I'm sorry," Zatana said, frowning with confusion, "but he went willingly."

"What?" Roy's snapped word was echoed by Superman's and Batman's. They all stared at her aghast.

"He went willingly," Zatana said. She whispered something again and shrugged. "The spell only opened a passageway. There was no compulsion at all. Tim went to him of his own free will."

"No," Roy breathed.

Bruce's hand on his shoulder did nothing to stop his heart's breaking. It couldn't be true. He wouldn't accept it until he heard it from Tim's mouth, without Lex Luthor's interference. Tim _loved_ him. Lex must have done something to him for Tim to have abandoned what they had together. He would save Tim. He didn't know how but he would.


	3. Ensnared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex wraps his controls tighter around Tim, ensuring that his Little Bird won't fly away. Tim learns some things and then goes home to confirm them. The results of that aren't what he wanted or expected. Roy makes a decision that might let him rescue Tim before Lex destroys him.

Lex was learning from the history books, or at least from his own history. He'd lost track of how many wives he'd lost by being too controlling. He'd lost several orders of magnitude more lovers in the same way. He was quite determined not to do the same thing with Tim. He'd been very careful to arrange things so that Tim came to him of his free will. He would remain with Lex for the same reason, no matter what or whom Lex had to manipulate to see that it happened.

"I… I can really go anywhere I want?" Tim asked, hesitating at the doorway to Lex's bedroom.

He looked around as though he expected to be shoved back into the bedroom and chained to the bed. While the thought had its merits, not the least of which would be seeing Tim come undone under Lex's hands, the boy could do with a break and letting him wander would do wonders for his trust in Lex. Lex had worked quite hard to engender that sense of trust. He wasn't going to risk destroying it so soon. No, there would be time later for more particular demands.

"Of course," Lex said while smirking at him. "I'm not keeping you prisoner here, Tim. I expect that you'll continue your schooling and given your personality I assume that you'll continue your patrols. I would appreciate it if you trained with Mercy to ensure that your skills remain at their highest. I would greatly appreciate it if you wore a tracking device while you patrol but that's entirely up to you. I don't own you. I hope that you're here because you want to be here."

Tim looked stunned when Lex said that he was free to patrol and then turned brilliantly red when Lex put on his best hopeful expression for the last sentence. Tim's chest fluttered as his breath caught in his throat. He stepped through the doorway to Lex's side, hesitantly taking Lex's hand. Lex smiled at the down turned head. The boy truly was too enticing for his own good.

"I am here because I want to be," Tim admitted. His expression was shamed but excited. "Sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry for," Lex reassured him. He squeezed Tim's fingers, taking his chin in his other hand so that Tim looked up and met Lex's eyes. "You have no need to apologize for what you enjoy, Tim Drake. Your desires are no more strange or wrong than anyone else's. They may not be things that everyone enjoys but that does not make them wrong."

Tim whimpered and abruptly hugged Lex. He buried his face in Lex's chest, shaking so hard that Lex was almost annoyed at Bruce for the way he'd treated the boy. Truly, there was nothing for him to be ashamed of in their interactions. It was fully consensual on both sides and neither of them was harming the other in ways that were not desired. The fact that Lex had essentially stolen him from his family was irrelevant to Tim's enjoyment of their activities. There was nothing shameful at all about their sexual activities together.

"It's sick," Tim muttered into Lex's chest.

"No it's not," Lex objected. "Little Bird, it's not a perversion to want to do things that make you feel good. That is what makes you feel best. There is no shame there. If you've been taught that there is shame in such games when both individuals fully enjoy it and wish to do it, and most importantly are fully consenting, then you were taught by a lying hypocrite who had best stop throwing rocks lest he destroy his own glass house!"

Tim pulled back at the fierceness in Lex's voice. He blinked up at Lex, clearly astonished at Lex's passion on the subject. Lex sighed, rubbing the back of his head. He hadn't intended to be quite that fierce but it was a sore point. Both Clark and Bruce had made so much of it and the sheer hypocrisy infuriated him.

"Shall we say that neither Clark nor Bruce have any cause to be saying such things to you?" Lex said a bit cautiously. He glanced out at the windows but Superman didn't appear to pound on him as he had in the past when Lex had spoken about the matter.

"Seriously?" Tim's mouth gaped open as he stared at Lex.

"Seriously," Lex snorted. "My… interactions with Clark were long before he was Superman or I had earned my fortune. We were friends and then more than friends. We tried such things together. I enjoyed it greatly. Clark did and yet he did not. I think he found it morally uncomfortable given his upbringing as he quite obviously enjoyed it physically. Somewhat later in my life Bruce and I knew each other in those ways as well, with Bruce in the Master's position. Again this was before he became Batman. I am quite aware that they still play such games together, though they must be exceedingly private about it for you to be so uncomfortable about expressing your desires."

Tim's expression slowly changed from stunned to complete betrayal. He turned away, going to the windows that opened onto the balcony outside. Lex strictly controlled a smirk. He knew that Superman had to be watching or if he wasn't then Bruce was. Mercy had already warned him that Bruce had attempted to bug the penthouse. By now they could be listening in on Lex's every word to Tim.

"Why wouldn't they tell me that?" Tim asked, turning heartbroken eyes on Lex.

"Did you ask?" Lex asked with an arched eyebrow. "As many powers as Superman possesses, reading minds is most definitely not one of them. Bruce does have a fine tactical mind but he can't read minds either."

"Oh, well, no," Tim said, flushing and fidgeting. "I was… ashamed that I wanted this."

"Why were you ashamed?" Lex asked though he was fairly certain that he understood the reasoning in Tim's mind.

Tim frowned, looking out the window again. He stayed silent for a long while though occasionally he made an abortive gesture as if thinking with his hands. Eventually Lex moved to his side, resting a hand at the small of Tim's back. Tim didn't startle as he had the previous times that Lex touched him. In fact, he pressed up against Lex as if he were a pillar of support. Lex hummed happily, wrapping his arms around Tim. Oh yes, this boy was so suited to belong to Lex.

"Everyone always… freaks out about bruises and hickies," Tim admitted. His voice was very quiet. "Not from battles. They don't notice that. But if Roy gave me a hickie it was a huge deal with the others. And it was just a hickie! Bruce wanted to forbid me to see Roy after I wrenched my wrist roughhousing with Lian once. He went on about how it wasn't appropriate for me to get injured with him. Roy's so gentle it's like he's terrified he's going to put a mark on me and that started after he had a 'chat' with Bruce and Clark. Why would they do that if they're doing the same thing in private?"

"I cannot answer that," Lex said. He smiled and petted Tim's cheek. It pleased him to see how the boy had begun to doubt everything about his former family. "Only they can answer you, Tim. I doubt that they would. After all, you've obviously been compromised by the evil Lex Luthor and need to be deprogrammed."

Lex rolled his eyes dramatically. He knew perfectly well what everyone thought of him. He wasn't evil anymore than Bruce was. Lex was simply somewhat more flexible about his morality than the vaunted Batman was. Tim spluttered a laugh, grinning at Lex for a moment. The grin faded rapidly. He shuddered and hugged Lex again. He was shaking so badly that Lex rubbed the boy's back to try to still the tremors. This must be driving Clark and Bruce absolutely mad to watch. Lex found himself quite liking that thought. He might just consider leaving any bugs that they managed to insert into his penthouse, other than in the bedroom. No one got to watch him with Tim in there.

"They would think that," Tim said. "I need to talk to them. I need… I need to find out why they made me think that way. I need to understand."

"Mercy reported that your Ducati has been returned to Wayne manor," Lex told Tim. "I can have one of the drivers take you there if you wish."

"Seriously?" Tim asked. He was obviously astonished as he stared up at Lex.

"Timothy Drake," Lex said, putting his hands on either side of his head, "you do not belong to me. The only reason I used magic to contact you is because your family protects you so fiercely that I had no other way to speak to you. You are free to stay or go as you wish. I hope that you will return. I did program my private cell number into your phone while you slept should you wish to call me. You are free to do as you wish though of course I do hope that you will return."

Tim nodded, his cheeks blushing brightly between Lex's palms. A sweet, innocent smile fluttered around his lips as he raised his hands to cup Lex's hands. After a moment he straightened his shoulders and stood a bit taller. Lex released him, chuckling as Tim pressed up against him to kiss him passionately.

"I'll be back," Tim declared once he stepped back. "Please have one of your drivers take me home."

"As you wish, Little Bird," Lex said.

He gave the orders and watched as Tim walked out of the penthouse. Tim walked like a man going to battle. He looked years older than his actual age. Lex adjusted his pants, amused that submitting to him had brought out such strength in Tim's character. It was going to be quite fulfilling making Tim fully his. Mercy watched him with an expression that showed hints of suspicion and worry underneath the ice.

"You're letting him go?" Mercy asked after a moment.

"Of course." Lex smirked at her. "He'll be back. They'll blunder handling him and inevitably he'll be back. Be prepared to get him out if Bruce or his other sons decide that Tim should be kept prisoner until he returns to his senses. I wouldn't put it past that thug Jason to do it, especially if Roy egged him on. God knows that Dick might as well. They're all loose cannons. I don't want them going off and destroying Tim."

"Yes sir." Mercy nodded crisply and went to make the appropriate arrangements.

Lex wasn't worried. Tim was quite capable of handling his family even in this matter. He was already ensnared in Lex's web so severely that he didn't know he was trapped. Lex would have to be careful how he handled their relationship in the next few weeks but Lex had never had any complaints from any of his wives or lovers during the proverbial honeymoon period. Tim would be back. It was inevitable.

+++++

It was really strange to drive up to the manor in the back of one of Lex's cars. The driver was exceedingly polite, asking if Tim wanted him to wait. He said no, sending the man back to Lex. He needed to talk to the others and pick up his bike. He wasn't going to rely on someone else's wheels. This was his life. It was his choice. He told himself that several times before he worked up the nerve to go to the door.

"It would have been nice if they'd let me know that I'm not the only one making that choice," Tim muttered as he closed the front door behind him.

"Master Tim!" Alfred gasped as Tim came in. "Goodness, I'm so relieved to see you. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine Alfred," Tim smiled at him. "Um, are the others here?"

"They are indeed, Master Tim," Alfred said, frowning towards the study. "I believe they're discussing how to rescue you. I'm surprised that you managed to escape on your own. Mr. Luthor is known for his traps."

"I didn't escape," Tim huffed. "He let me go freely. I can come or go as I wish."

"Ah," Alfred breathed. His head reared back just a hair. His eyes were far more intent on Tim's face than they had been. "I see that you have not escaped yet. Pity. Do go in, Master Tim. Shall I bring in tea?"

"No, I'm fine," Tim said.

He looked at Alfred oddly. He wasn't at all sure what he meant by that. Alfred nodded with respect at Tim and headed towards the kitchen as calmly as ever. Tim thought that Alfred would greet the end of the world with a calm nod and the casual revelation of several lethal weapons hidden discretely around his person. It was spooky at the same time that it was incredibly reassuring.

The study was fuller than normal. Roy was there with Lian cuddled by his side. Jason paced on one side of the room. Bruce paced on the other side as if to ensure that his path didn't intersect with Jason's. Given the thunderous expression on both of their faces it probably was deliberate. He wondered what argument had just ended that they were all so silent. It must have been a doozy and it had to be his fault.

Clark was sitting next to Roy and Lian, petting Lian's hair. She looked like she'd been crying recently but had stopped. Dick leaned against the mantle place of the fire as if it was the only thing holding him up. They all looked like hell. Tim winced. He really shouldn't have gone with Lex that way. He should at least have said something to Roy before he went.

"Hey," Tim said. His voice cracked from nerves.

"Tim!" Roy bolted to his feet, staring at him as though he expected Tim to disappear at any second. He scanned Tim's body as if he could see straight through Tim's clothes to see every bruise and mark that Lex had given him last night.

"Are you all right?" Bruce asked as he strode over and grabbed Tim's shoulder just a hair too hard for the bruises that Lex had put there last night. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"I can't believe you got out on your own, Timmy," Jason said, doing the same with Tim's other shoulder. "Good job!"

"Guys, I'm fine," Tim said, rolling his eyes at them. "Seriously, there's nothing wrong with me. And no, I didn't escape. I wasn't his prisoner or anything."

Bruce and Clark exchanged dark, worried looks. Jason snorted, pulling at Tim's collar as if to check for marks on his body. Tim smacked his hand away, glaring at him. Lian squirmed free from Roy's arms, running over to wrap her arms around Tim's back. She hugged right on one of the bigger marks that Lex had given him. Tim picked her up, cuddling her.

"You're coming home now?" Lian asked hopefully.

She hit him with the most spectacular puppy eyes he'd ever seen, including the set that Clark was giving him. Jason nodded, glaring at the door as if Lex was lurking on the other side. Clark had a halfway sick expression that said to Tim that he knew Tim wasn't going to stay. He must have been eavesdropping on Tim and Lex's conversations. Tim was surprised at how much that bothered him. He'd always known that Clark listened but he hadn't thought that he'd listen to something like that. Bruce had his Batman expression on, hiding everything that he was feeling. Dick and Roy were the ones that really worried Tim though. They both looked furious enough to kill.

"Not yet," Tim told Lian. He hugged her when she sniffled against the tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry sweetie. It's not because of you. There's some stuff I have to work out and Lex is helping. I just came to get my Ducati and make sure that everyone knew that I was all right."

"No Tim, you're not leaving."

Dick glared as he said it. Roy nodded violent agreement. His hands were clenched in fists. They both looked like they were quite prepared to keep Tim there by force if necessary. Tim sighed and set Lian down next to Jason, hopefully blocking him from joining Dick and Roy in forcing Tim to stay. This was exactly what Lex had predicted but it was the opposite of what Tim had expected. They were his family. They'd supported him. He knew this was kind of crazy but he hadn't expected them to be this upset. He hoped that they would calm down once he explained.

"Yes, I am," Tim said as calmly as he could. He met Dick's eyes squarely, refusing to quail at the fury in his eyes. "What are you going to do? Keep me prisoner until I'm willing to say whatever you want to get free?"

Tim opened his mouth to say yes, freezing as Tim's words registered. He backed up a step, looking at Tim as if he was a complete stranger wearing his brother's face. It felt really strange to accuse Dick of such a thing but he really thought he was mad enough to do it if he wasn't challenged. Roy put a hand on Dick's shoulder, shooting him a scolding glance.

"Tim, you were kidnapped," Roy said.

His voice was fully of syrupy concern as if he was afraid that Tim was going to break. It was the worry that Roy had hidden every time they were together. It made Tim grit his teeth briefly. Roy didn't mean it that way. He knew he didn't. It was just his worry that made him talk to Tim that way.

"No, I wasn't." It was harder to meet Roy's eyes without quivering but Tim managed it. He needed to do this. Roy needed to understand.

"He messed with your mind," Roy exclaimed, staring at Tim wild-eyed.

"No, he didn't," Tim said with a tired sigh. "I messed with my mind Roy. You know how I get. I let myself get all worried about things and I don't talk. I'm sorry I didn't explain. I should have. I'd been thinking about it every since the whole kidnapping thing. When Lex made the offer I took it. I should have explained first instead of just going."

Roy grabbed Tim, clutching his shoulders while staring down into his eyes. He could see Clark fidgeting by the couch, Bruce hovering in the background. Tim wanted to ask about their 'games', see if Lex had told the truth, but Roy deserved his full attention right now.

"Tim…" Roy's voice shook so hard that he stopped and swallowed hard. "You can't be serious. You _want_ Lex Luthor? He'll hurt you!"

"That's what I want," Tim admitted. His voice came out far too small as his face went flamingly red. "That's what I couldn't talk about. I liked what he did to me."

Roy stepped back with an expression of complete horror on his face. His legs ran into the couch so hard that he toppled backwards onto it. Roy's reaction told Tim everything he needed to know about their relationship. He was never going to get what he physically needed from Roy, no matter how much they loved each other. Tim shut his eyes against the look on Roy's face. Tim thought that there was something seriously wrong with the universe when Lex Luthor was more accepting of Tim's needs than Roy Harper.

"You don't mean that," Bruce said in his darkest Batman voice. It was very similar to Lex's Master voice. It was kind of spooky how similar those voices were.

"Yes I do," Tim said. He opened his eyes and stared straight into Bruce's eyes. "Do you really think you have any right to object given your choices?"

Bruce's head reared back as if Tim had slapped him. Doubt flashed across his face, followed by shame and then embarrassed rage. Clark moved, interposing himself between Bruce and Tim. His cheeks were bright red. He looked terribly ashamed of himself. Tim realized that it was the exact same expression he'd seen on his face when he thought about being with Lex.

"It's not like that," Clark objected. "Tim, it's not like that at all."

"It doesn't matter," Tim told Clark. "I don't care what you two do together. What you two do is what you two do. This is my life. Lex… isn't who I would have chosen if left to myself but he gives me things that I need. I didn't realize it at first but I do need it. I won't be ashamed of myself anymore. I don't think that I have anything to be ashamed of."

"You really think that _Lex Luthor_ will just let you go?" Bruce demanded.

"He already did," Tim said, smiling sadly at Bruce. "More than you are. More than Dick or Jason. At least he didn't put me through hell to make me 'prove' myself."

They all reacted like they'd been struck. Tim wasn't sorry for having said it. He understood why Bruce had made him train so hard. He understood why Bruce wanted him to be safe. He just couldn't stay safe for the rest of his life. He was old enough that it was time for him to make his own choices, without Bruce's approval or interference. Tim turned back to Roy, hoping that he'd see some sort of acceptance and understanding in Roy's eyes. Roy turned his face away as if he couldn't meet Tim's eyes. Tim nodded sadly. That's what he'd thought would happen. That was the deepest reason why he hadn't spoken earlier. He'd known that Roy couldn't accept what Tim really was.

"I'm going back," Tim announced. "Does Alfred have the keys to my Ducati?"

"You'll visit?" Lian asked, running over to clutch Tim's hand. "You're not leaving forever, are you?"

"Of course I'll visit, Lian," Tim said, kneeling down to hug her tight. "I love you princess. I'm just following a different path for a little while, okay?"

Lian's bottom lip wobbled as she studied his face but eventually she nodded. She let him stand and stood aside. Dick still looked like he wanted to stop Tim but he backed down after a moment of staring into Tim's eyes like he was trying to see into Tim's soul. Bruce held out the keys, rage still covering his face. Clark stopped Tim, pulling him into a stronger-than-normal hug.

"If you need help later, call," Clark whispered.

"I will," Tim promised. "Thank you. I'll be careful, I swear."

Jason shook his head at Tim, leaning against the door and blocking the way. Tim just looked at him. Of all of them, he'd thought that Jason would understand. There had always been that sort of feeling about Jason, not that he'd ever touched Tim that way. Jason studied Tim's face with his arms crossed over his chest. The silence stretched until Tim thought someone was going to break. To his surprise Jason gave first.

"You're an idiot, baby bird," Jason growled as he moved aside. "You better not get yourself killed."

"I won't," Tim said.

He was surprised that his voice came out calm and confident when his knees felt like they were going to give out underneath him from sheer relief. He went through the door with a confident stride. He only allowed himself to stagger and lean against the wall once he was out of direct line of sight. Jason's parting words had been nearly enough to send him to his knees.

"You didn't need to go to Lex for that," was what Jason muttered as Tim passed. "I would have given you anything you wanted, little bird."

Tim sat on his Ducati for a few minutes before driving slowly away from the manor. He wondered if he was being an idiot. He wondered if Alfred was right and he was somehow in a trap that he couldn't see. He wondered if he'd ever truly understood what he and Roy shared. He wondered if he'd be able to bring himself to visit again if that was what it was going to be like. He sighed and stopped wondering. Wondering wasn't going to make anything work out. Only acting would.

Mercy smiled her icy smile once he got back to the penthouse, nodding towards Lex's office. Tim shivered at the fiercely possessive look in Lex's eyes once Tim walked in. This was wrong. He knew it. He could feel it. It was stupid and possibly suicidal but Tim still walked over to Lex's desk, letting Lex sweep him into his lap. Lex held him as tears crept down his cheeks.

Maybe it was a trap but at least here he didn't have to feel guilty about himself.

+++++

Roy didn't hear the others' conversation once Tim left. Honestly, he hadn't heard much of anything at all after Tim admitted to enjoying Lex's rape. It was as though his brain stopped functioning. He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of his Tim enjoying Lex Luthor's hands all over him, especially given how he'd reacted to being touched once he got back.

How could he have missed this? He'd been there the whole time and he'd missed the most important thing that had happened to Tim in ages. Sheer shame at his failure made it impossible for him to look at Tim. He'd let his bird down. He'd failed him when he needed Roy most.

"Come on," Jason snarled, grabbing Roy by the front of his shirt and hauling him up off of the couch.

"What?" Roy spluttered, too devastated and startled to really struggle against Jason's grip.

"Just come on," Jason snapped.

Roy looked at Lian, seeing that she was snuggled in Clark's arms. She'd fallen asleep on his shoulder, clutching the neck of his shirt. Given how hard she'd been crying earlier he wasn't surprised that she fell asleep the first chance she got.

"You mind watching her?" Roy asked, digging in his heels so Jason couldn't drag him away.

"Go on," Bruce nodded.

"We'll sit her for a while," Clark murmured, stroking her back gently. He looked like he needed it as much as she did.

There was no safer place in the universe for her so he let Jason drag him out of the study and down the stairs to the gym. Dick followed them, his boot heels ringing as he stomped every step of the way. Dick slammed the door to the gym. Jason let his shirt go, allowing Roy to stand on his own. Jason went to the mats in the center of the room as if he wanted to fight. Or maybe he was just being prepared for it. Dick certainly looked like he wanted to pound on Roy. Roy couldn't blame him. He deserved it for failing Tim this way.

"What's going on?" Roy asked once Dick stormed over to them.

"How could you miss this?" Dick exploded at Roy. "He's your lover! He's with you practically every single night and you didn't _see_ this? How could you let him end up with Lex Luthor?"

"I don't know," Roy admitted. He couldn't meet their eyes any more than he could meet Tim's. The shame was making him feel ill. "He pulled away and I thought… I thought it was rape trauma. The way he shied away from touching made me think he was having flashbacks or something. He wouldn't talk about it, kept saying that he was fine."

"We missed it to," Jason said, cutting off Dick as he opened his mouth for another angry explosion of words. "Hell, even Clark and fucking Bruce missed it."

"Lian didn't," Roy said as he rubbed his face with both hands. "She said Tim was hurting. I should have listened to her."

Roy could see Dick's pain when he dropped his hands. He looked kind of like his heart had been cut out. It looked a lot like what Roy felt. Jason just looked furious, like he wanted to pound someone to a pulp. Roy had no idea what to say so he didn't say anything. Tim was gone. He'd gone of his own free will, come back and then gone to Lex _again_. It didn't get much more clear than that. He didn't want Roy anymore. It was over. The thought of being over made Roy want to scream.

"All right," Jason said, shaking off his rage with a sharp wave of his hand. "Enough pity party. We need to get Timmy out of there. He doesn't have a clue and he's going to be in over his head before he knows it. He doesn't realize how that shit can fuck with your brain."

"You do?" Roy asked, waving a hand at him. Dick's flinch made Roy look at him sharply before looking back at Jason. He'd gone very still, his eyes dark and cold and incredibly distant.

"Yes, I do," Jason said, his voice just as cold and distant as his eyes. "After I came back from dead I went through… a lot. Granted, I was insane but… Let's just say I know exactly what Tim needs and how it can be used to twist your mind into knots. If we don't get Tim out of there soon he's never going to recover. Lex is going to destroy him, all in the name of 'helping him' and 'giving him what he needs'."

"How long did it take you to recover?" Roy asked, going over everything that Tim had told him about Jason's past. It wasn't enough for him to know what Jason had gone through. He'd have to check into that, see what he could find out.

"I don't know," Jason said thoughtfully. He cocked his head to the side as he considered it. "Ask me in a decade or two and I might be able to tell you. Haven't yet."

It was clearly not a joke. Roy's stomach tried to climb up his throat. He knew that Tim was tough and smart but Lex was a genius and Tim was submitting to him freely. God only knew what Lex would do to him. He'd seen the way Tim moved. He already had bruises on his body. How long before Lex did more permanent things to him, things that Tim couldn't recover from? How long before he twisted Tim's mind around so that he wouldn't want to be free?

"What do we do?" Roy asked. "He made it pretty clear that he didn't want us to interfere."

He pushed his worry and shame away. None of that would help Tim. Even if Tim didn't want him anymore, Roy still loved him. He had to think of Tim first and himself last. Tim and Lian came before he did.

"How much are you willing to do for Tim?" Jason asked. His eyes were like getting hit by a truck.

"Whatever it takes," Roy said automatically. His stomach fluttered a little at that offer but he meant it. He'd do whatever it took to save Tim, no matter where he ended up going once he was free.

"Are you willing to hurt him sexually?" Jason asked. "I didn't see it before but Timmy's like Dickie and Clark. He needs to be owned. He needs to belong to someone. That's what Lex is giving him. That's the hook that Lex used to draw him in. If you can't give him that then there's no way he's going to come back. You need to be able to give him what he needs, Roy. He's a little slut whose needs have to be met."

"Do you have to put it that way?" Dick asked, glaring at Jason. His cheeks were flaming red.

"Yes, I do." Jason rolled his eyes. "Get over it. Hell, more than half of the superheroes out there play one or the other side of that game. I think it's a fucking requirement before you put on a super suit. You have to be into BDSM or fucked in the head to do this shit. I know which I am."

Dick laughed in spite of himself. Roy just stared at Jason. "BDSM?"

"Bondage," Jason explained while counting the letters off on his fingers, "Domination, Sadism, Masochism. Seriously, there's something fucking sadomasochistic about going out in a suit and letting people beat up on you or beating up on them. It's just a fact. Don't tell me you haven't noticed it."

"Okay…" Roy laughed as his cheeks went as red as Dick's. "I don't think I can deny that though I think there's more to it."

"Of course there is," Jason snorted. He smirked at Roy. "Don't change the topic. Timmy has needs. You going to meet those needs or do we find him someone else who will?"

"You won't?" Dick asked. His voice went very quiet as his whole body stilled.

"I… don't think it would be wise," Jason said uncomfortably. He rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing. "I'm afraid I wouldn't stop if I let myself get started. He's way too fucking tempting and Jesus, Tim? On his knees? _Begging?_ That'd be way more than I could deal with and I don't want to hurt the kid. Hell, I don't think that Bruce could resist that and his control's damn near invulnerable."

Dick nodded thoughtfully as if it was a perfectly reasonable image to consider. Roy's brain had stopped functioning somewhere around the point he pictured Tim on his knees. He was shocked at the jealous rage that flared up at the thought of Tim kneeling for Lex Luthor. The thought of Tim begging made his knees wobble. Tim had begged him on occasion. Some of their best nights had involved Tim begging and Roy teasing him until he gave Tim what he wanted. The image shifted to Tim bound, kneeling and begging to Roy. He swallowed hard, sitting abruptly on the mat as his legs gave way.

"We gotta get him out of there," Roy muttered. Rage battled against sheer arousal at the thought of Tim submitting to Lex in any way. He needed to do that with Roy, not Lex.

Jason's chuckle had Roy snapping his head up from between his knees to glare at him. Jason was grinning at him with approval. Dick smiled at him, looking a little amused. Roy blushed, not sure what they found so funny. They had to get Tim _out_ of there!

"You'll do fine," Jason nodded. "You don't realize it yet but you'll do fine. Come on. Let's get out of here, go somewhere that you can learn the basics and then we'll get our little bird out of that fucking gilded cage."

"Learn the…?" Roy asked, staring at Jason as he hauled Roy back to his feet. "What do you mean, learn the basics?"

"I know some Masters who would be willing to teach you the basics of what Tim needs," Dick said. "We'll all help you figure it out. I wish Tim had said something. Sometimes I think being kinky is a prerequisite for being part of this family. Any of us could have helped him out, explained things to him. We're all kinky in one way or another. As it is he's going to have to unlearn a lot of what Lex teaches him. I'm pretty sure Lex won't do things the right way. It won't give him enough control over Tim if he does it the right way."

"Make sure you learn quick," Jason said, glaring at Roy as they headed for the door. "It doesn't take much time to fuck someone's brain when they're willing."


	4. Deeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Tim explores his kinky side with Lex, getting himself deeper and deeper into Lex's thrall, Roy learns about what Tim needs with Jason and Dick's assistance.

"You have a need for discipline, Little Bird. Don't worry. I'll make sure you get what you need."

Lex's voice seemed far too loud in the quiet of his office. Tim thought it was because of the blindfold blocking his sense of sight. Or maybe it was the cuffs holding his hands behind his back. He shifted position, tugging against the cuffs despite his promise to be good and sit still on the couch were Lex could look at him while he worked. His toes were cold. His whole body was cold and yet his naked skin was burning. He could feel Lex's eyes on him, watching him.

"Easy. Be still."

Tim whimpered around the gag in his mouth. He couldn't stop shaking. There wasn't anyone there. He _knew_ that there wasn't anyone there. Lex had shown him the security monitors of the building. It was Sunday. Mercy was in the other room making sure no one came in. It was just Tim, Lex, Mercy and a couple of cleaning guys who wouldn't make it up here until after dark. They'd be long gone before anyone could see them. Even though the Daily Planet was across the street there was no possibility of anyone seeing him this way. The angle was wrong and it was _Sunday_. No one was there.

Despite that, the thought that Lex had stripped him naked, bound him, gagged him, and blindfolded him in his office while he worked had Tim panting from mingled shame and arousal. It felt like at any second someone could come in and see him there. It felt like there were people watching him, whispering and commenting on his naked body and the marks that Lex had put there. Tim pressed his legs together to hide his rock-hard cock.

"Open your legs, Little Bird. I want to see you."

Tim groaned. He slowly spread his legs, exposing himself to Lex's eyes. The phantom eyes and voices in his head exclaimed at what a slut he was, how shameful it was. Tim's cock jumped at their imaginary commentary. He wanted them to be real. He wanted people to see him this way. The thought of being seen as the slut he actually was made him want to crawl in a hole and die.

"Beautiful."

The blindfold soaked up Tim's tears. It felt like hours that he'd sat there, exposed to Lex's gaze. He thought it might be five minutes in reality. Time had always sped up for him when he was bound. This time was no different. His mind flew faster than normal. His thoughts battered against the inside of his head like birds trying to escape from a trap. It was terrifying and exciting and Tim thought that he might explode.

Lex typed on his computer, occasionally grunting or making a little humming noise at whatever he was working on. Eventually, so slowly that Tim was barely aware of it, his thoughts began to slow. He'd never deliberately done this to himself before. He'd never deliberately allowed himself to be bound explicitly for being bound. The terror subsided abruptly, leaving behind a floating sensation that made Tim slightly lightheaded.

He sighed and relaxed back against the cushions of the couch. His legs still trembled but his heart slowed. After a long quiet moment the shakes stopped. Tim's mind drifted in nothingness, enjoying the simple act of being on display for Lex's viewing. This felt so very right.

"That's my Little Bird."

"Mmm!" Tim gasped as Lex slid between his legs without warning.

Lex ran his hand up Tim's thighs, teasing his cock to full hardness. Tim froze after Lex set a stilling hand to his stomach. He panted around the gag, wishing that he could see the look in Lex's eyes. He loved the way Lex looked at him, like he was the most perfect thing he'd ever seen. Roy had always looked at him with love but it had never been this way, like he was something to be savored and treasured.

Lex's hand began the twisting thing that had first gotten Tim during the kidnapping. Tim responded twice as hard this time, shuddering and thrusting into Lex's hand. It felt like heaven. It felt like hell. It felt like he was going to come undone in Lex's hands and never find all his pieces again. He felt as though he was a puppet held together by bits of string that Lex was slowly and methodically untying. As Tim neared the edge, Lex pulled away, disappearing into the darkness of beyond Tim's blindfold.

"Not yet."

Tim whined, squirming on the couch. His hands were bound behind his back so he couldn't even touch himself. Lex chuckled. He sounded darkly amused by Tim's whimpers. He went back to work. Tim pouted. His whole body was thrumming with the need to come. He couldn't believe that Lex had denied him. Eventually he relaxed again, subsiding against the couch's cushions with his legs spread for Lex. As soon as his cock started softening Lex was back, teasing him right to the edge of orgasm before stepping back.

"Mmn-ngh!" Tim complained the second time Lex stopped before he could come.

"Your orgasms are mine, Little Bird," Lex explained. "They're a gift that I give to you. I will take care of you. Eventually."

Tim grumbled more loudly but he stayed in his place on the couch, legs spread wide to tempt Lex back. The thought that Lex would keep denying him, maybe deny him entirely, was strangely hotter than being allowed to orgasm. Tim had a hard time settling down after that. He kept squirming, tugging at the cuffs that bound his hands. The chorus of mental voices had silenced. Now all that filled his mind was want.

He wanted Lex. He wanted him to use him, to take him, to fill him up and fuck him hard. Rampant perverted sexual thoughts ran though his mind, keeping him hard for what seemed like forever. Lex kept working quietly. Eventually he turned on classical music, drowning out Tim's whimpers.

Tim felt like he was being ignored. The shivers started again. His arms were aching. His shoulders were sore. His wrists felt like they'd been bruised from struggling against the cuffs. It stopped being fun until he felt Lex's mouth against his nipple. Tim gasped. He hadn't heard Lex move.

"Mine."

Lex bit Tim's nipple. He bit further down on Tim's stomach. His teeth cut into Tim's flesh hard enough to leave a burning mark that felt like it might be bleeding to Tim. He knelt between Tim's legs, pulling his hips forward so that his ass pressed against Lex's already slick and rock hard cock. Tim nearly came just from realizing that Lex had been reacting to Tim the whole time. He had wanted Tim after all. He hadn't been ignored at all. Lex pushed into him, taking him in one sudden plunge that made Tim wail around the gag.

"Mine!"

Tim forgot his sore muscles. He forgot his cold toes. He forgot about Mercy in the other room and the cleaning people and the fact that Lex's office had a bank of floor to ceiling windows that looked out on the Daily Planet where Clark worked. He forgot everything other than Lex: Lex touching him, filling him, taking him and making him his. He wanted to come desperately but somehow he wasn't quite there. It didn't seem right. He didn't get to come, not without Lex's say-so.

"Yes!"

Lex slammed into Tim, filling the condom. He sighed happily and then slowly pulled out. Tim whimpered, his erection throbbing against his belly in time with the pulse and the throb of his ass. Lex chuckled that dark, dangerous laugh before palming Tim's cock.

"Now," Lex murmured, stroking and twisting his hand around Tim's flesh in a perfect move that was better than anything Tim had ever experienced in his life.

That was all it took. Tim's world exploded in a white rush of pleasure that made him scream around the gag. The world went a way for a timeless period. He floated on the pleasure, unaware of anything other than his release. When he came back to himself his wrists were free. The gag and blindfold had been removed. Lex was back at this desk, watching Tim with those dark, intense eyes. His computer had been shut down and the papers put away. Lex watched him, his eyes darkening as he saw Tim wake. Tim shuddered and licked his lips.

"More?" Tim begged. His voice shook so hard that he didn't recognize it.

"Later," Lex promised, smirking at him.

+++++

It was clear to Dick that the Emperion Club was nothing like what Roy had expected. He'd said outright that he'd expected them to go somewhere in Gotham. Given Gotham's darker nature it was logical, but Gotham's nature made it's BDSM clubs dangerous places. Instead they drove to a suburb of Metropolis to a cul-de-sac with a large multiacre plot that had an old brick wall surrounding it. The houses surrounding the Emperion Club looked perfectly normal with kids were playing on the lawn of one house and quiet lives going on. That was part of why Dick loved the place. It was Wonderland in the middle of suburbia.

The Emperion Club building was fairly ordinary from the outside, if large. It looked as if someone had started off with a normal two-story house, added on an indoor pool, then an outbuilding, then some gardens, then another couple more outbuildings, continuously expanding the building. The owner had created a huge place that had a comfortable, lived-in look, despite it's pieced together construction.

Inside, it was far more fantastic than outside. There was a pool with naked people playing in it. There was a large dining area with a dance floor. The dance floor tempted Dick with the driving beat, writing bodies and promise of casual attention but they weren't here for Dick to play. The front desk people recognized both Jason and Dick, accepting their statement that Roy was their guest for the evening.

The tour of the connected outbuildings clearly blew Roy's mind. In one large room there was a dungeon that would have done a medieval castle proud. Jason patted a padded bench as they passed as if it was his favorite. Dick grinned at a swing-like contraption hanging from the ceiling, running his fingers over it in passing. That was his favorite. As far as he was concerned that was nothing better than being bound and suspended so that his partner could play with him as he or she wanted.

The Mirror room with its wall-to-wall mirrors and mirror covered ceiling made Roy blush violently. The Arabian harem room just made him shrug, despite Cody dressed in harem pants sucking off his Dom Andrew as he murmured appreciative things. Dick thought that the role-play aspect didn't seem to click in Roy's head. He wondered whether Roy would have reacted more if it had been a Native American chief and captive role-play but he didn't ask. It was something for Roy and Tim to work out later.

The fireplace room with its gas fireplace and large padded crosses on the walls made Roy swallow hard, especially since it was being used. Roy shuddered at seeing Mistress Anna methodically beating her girl who'd been bound to the cross at the far end of the room. He kept looking at the fire and the irons in it as if afraid that Mistress Anna would pull one out and start etching designs on her girl's body. Dick rubbed his arm at that point. Given what Tim had gone through with Lex it made sense that he'd react strongly to this one. Jason nodded and hurried them out of the room and on to the last themed room.

The last theme room was one that was supposed to be a sexy medical environment, complete with a gynecological-styled frog chair, a proper sink and a sharps disposal bin. That room had a small group of people watching Lady Karen, a full-on Dominatrix that Dick usually avoided, carefully piercing her boy's back to create wings with hypodermic needles decorated by peacock feathers. It was highly artistic and her boy looked like he was in seventh heaven but Roy backpedaled, running into Jason.

"This…" Roy's voice came out as a strangled whisper before his throat sealed up entirely.

Dick looked at him and nodded. He took Roy's hand and led him out of the room and into the dungeon room. He'd reacted the least to this room. Roy sat on the padded bench, obviously not caring about the semen stains on the padding. Dick sat next to him, gently rubbing Roy's back.

"You don't have to do any of that," Dick said quietly enough that no one passing by the door could have heard him. "What you two end up enjoying together is something that you'll have to explore with Tim."

"I don't think I could do some of that," Roy said, shuddering. "I… the thought of actually hurting Tim freaks me the fuck out."

"There are checklists that the two of you can do," Dick said. "I'll get some examples for you to review later. Basically, anything that makes you react that badly is a hard limit, something that you will not do, not even for Tim. If it's something that you're uncomfortable with but willing to explore for him, then that's a soft limit. You just need to figure out what turns you on, and then when we get Tim back find out what turns him on and see how it matches up between your limits."

"And we should expect that all of his limits have been trampled by that asshole Luthor," Jason growled.

"So now what?" Roy asked. He shuddered and glared into space at the thought of Lex.

"I think you need to see some examples of what could be," Dick said. "It's not all floggings, pain and sex you know. The real core of BDSM is pure domination and submission, one person submitting willingly to another person and being taken care of by them. There's an implied or explicit contract between the two people. They agree that this can be done and that cannot, and trust each other to say if it's gone too far."

"And that's how Luthor's going to fuck Timmy over," Jason said, nodding firmly. "He'll take and push without respecting Tim's limits. He won't let Timmy say no."

Dick smiled at Roy as he flashed again into pure Dom mode. He obviously had no idea that he was doing it but every time anything came up about Tim being abused or forced to do things he got fiercely protective in exactly the right ways to make any sub squirm. Dick controlled his breathing, not letting his surge of arousal show. Roy didn't need to know how he was setting Dick off. It would just confuse him and Dick didn't want Roy. He wanted Roy to save Tim. After a moment Roy shook his head hard as if to clear his head.

"All right, so what are you guys going to show me?" Roy asked. "Where do we start?"

"Right here," Dick said. He turned to Jason who straightened up and smirked eagerly. "Jason and I have… played… on occasion. There are things that I'm comfortable doing with him that would be a good place to start with Tim."

"Just watch," Jason said confidently. "You'll see."

Roy doesn't look very confident of that but his expression shifted into a mix of apprehension and excitement as Dick took off his shirt. Jason offered leather cuffs from his pocket, grinning at the look that Dick gave him. Dick wasn't surprised that Jason was prepared for their play—he was always ready whenever Dick let him—but he did wish that it was the wide soft leather cuffs instead of the harder nylon ones.

"Why do you have those in your pocket?" Roy asked Jason.

Jason laughed as if it was a silly question while helping Dick clip the cuff links together behind his back. "Just in case Dickie-boy wants to play."

"I like the soft leather ones better." Dick moaned as Jason pressed up against his back biting his neck just below his ear.

"Only when I get to turn that ass cherry red," Jason murmured into Dick's ear.

The bite helped Dick start easing into his subspace. Roy's eyes were wide as he watched Jason slowly touch Dick, grounding him and pulling him deeper into his mind. Jason's hands were always rough. He was trained in pain while he was gone and it had become too much a part of him for Jason to let it go. Dick accepted that. Sometimes the pain was good. He could tell that Jason was holding back this time, not letting loose the way he normally would with Dick. Given Roy watching and his aversion to causing pain that made sense.

Once Jason stripped Dick of everything but the nylon cuffs he carefully positioned Dick, making sure his legs were exactly the right distances apart, that his chin was at the perfect angle. There was a small crowd watching now and their eyes added to Roy's eyes pushed Dick deeper. His breathing stilled and his heart calmed. His pulse was throbbing so hard in his cock that Dick thought he might come just from this, from being displayed, from being allowed to show his training.

"Good boy." Jason's voice was a dark murmur in Dick's ear, full of ownership and approval. "Kneel."

Dick knelt, keeping the movement smooth and controlled. He knew how much Jason needed the control when he played these games. They'd talked about it from time to time after playing. It was the only time Jason could talk about it coherently, without large quantities of alcohol. Dick still wished that he could make it better but there wasn't anything to do other than submit from time to time and help Jason put it behind him. Kneeling put Dick's eyes exactly at Jason's crotch. Dick couldn't control the moan that welled up. Jason was hard as a rock underneath his jeans.

"Open them."

The crowd no longer mattered. Roy no longer mattered. Dick sort of knew in the back of his mind that they were there but that part of himself, the trained investigator, the sharp mind that let him solve crimes, that part was gone, buried under the needy slut that Jason so enjoyed.

Dick delicately bit the pull on Jason's zipper, tugging it downwards with his teeth. Jason stood still as a rock, making Dick work for it. The button was harder, requiring Dick to rise up a little and twist his head to pop it open. Once that was done he used his teeth to pull the fabric away from Jason's hips. His boxers slid down easily once the jeans were gone, leaving Jason's cock waving in Dick's face.

"Wait."

Dick shuddered, looking at Jason's cock. There was a glistening drop of pre-cum on the tip that Dick so wanted to lick away. He wanted to swallow Jason whole. He wanted to suck him in and take him so deep that Jason threw caution to the winds and fucked his mouth. Dick heard Jason murmuring something to someone else but his entire focus was on that wet bead that he wanted so bad.

"Tongue only."

Dick whined at the order, jerking his wrists against the nylon restraints in protest. Jason's hand rested on his head, calming him.

"Easy. Tongue only or this will be over before you begin, sexy bird."

The touch and warning calmed Dick better than anything else could have. He let out a shuddering sigh that Jason was that aroused by seeing Dick this way. He delicately licked the drop away. Jason groaned and removed his hand, giving Dick freedom to lick whatever he wanted. He smiled and licked a strip up the underside of Jason's cock. He twirled his tongue around the head, kissing the tip. He wrapped his tongue around the sides of Jason's length and allowed his lips to just brush against the pulsing skin. Jason gasped so Dick repeated the movement, not sucking Jason's cock but damned close to it.

"Fuck!"

Jason grabbed Dick's hair, pulling his head around so that his cock pressed against Dick's lips. Dick eagerly opened up, letting Jason shove into his mouth. It was too deep too fast but Dick didn't care. He minutely adjusted the angle of his head and opened his throat up, letting Jason do whatever he wanted.

"Goddamn sexy," Jason growled.

His hands were tight in Dick's hair, pulling just hard enough to hurt but not hard enough to rip hair out. His hips pounded his cock into Dick's mouth, taking him deeper than was quite safe but not so deep that Dick would use his safe gesture. It didn't take long at all for Jason to grunt a warning and flood Dick's mouth. Dick moaned, swallowing it all.

"Good boy."

The praise made Dick's head swim. He so rarely heard Jason use that warm of a tone of voice. Having it aimed at him, for things that Dick had done, was better than sex. Jason pulled Dick's head against his hip, petting Dick's hair gently. Dick's cock throbbed but it wasn't important. Jason pulled Dick up and moved him over to one of the wider benches, cuddling him. The world slowly widened back out. Dick sighed, leaning into Jason's side. Roy was there, his pants tented out so badly that he had to be uncomfortable. The crowd that had gathered to watch them was slowly dispersing. Jason and Roy were quietly talking about what had just happened.

"So he sort of goes away?" Roy asked.

"Yeah, kind of," Jason said thoughtfully. "It's more like every other concern in the world goes away for the duration. The only thing that matters is making your Dom happy, following his orders. There's a huge endorphin rush from this sort of thing. You literally feel like you're floating. I've never found a drug that makes you feel this good. Takes a while to come down again, so it's important to be there and let your boy come back as slowly as he needs to. Dick comes back pretty quick. Some people I've been with take a full day to come back all the way. You never know. It's something to watch for whenever you try something new. One practice might cause no downtime at all. Another might cause a ton. A third might unexpectedly cause a total freak out even though you both thought you'd like it."

"God I've got a lot to learn," Roy said as he adjusted his pants.

"You'll do fine," Dick said.

His voice was harsh and raspy from Jason's cock. It made Dick smile and nuzzle Jason's neck. Jason chuckled and hugged Dick with one arm. Roy would do fine. He understood it even if he didn't realize it yet. It would probably take him seeing Tim on his knees for Roy to find his way to his mastery. Later, after Dick could think and feel his limbs again, they could plot how to rescue Tim from Lex.


	5. Slippery Slope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim slides further down the slippery slope into Lex's trap despite Roy's attempt to stop him.

Tim shivered, staring at the bite of food held in Lex's fingers. It felt more like a threat than food.

Lex smirked confidently at him. He waited patiently for Tim to take the morsel. Tim's stomach rumbled at him. He'd spent the night fucking Lex. That had been bliss after their play in the office. His back and butt both ached. He was getting better at taking Lex's beatings. The pain felt so good when Lex gave it to him. Tim was pretty sure that he was bruised all down his back but they were bruises that he liked. They told him that Lex had enjoyed himself and that he cared about Tim. Lex had kissed every single mark, tracing them with his fingers and soothing lotion onto Tim's body. He'd slept deeply, cradled in Lex's arms.

He'd gotten up an hour early to practice with Mercy. She had been a surprise. Tim hadn't thought that he'd meet anyone who was as fast and deadly as Lady Shiva. Mercy could probably give her a serious run for her money. She had a very different fighting style so Tim had worked harder than normal to keep from being pounded into the ground. She didn't give him any quarter, pushing him to his limits to assess what he could do and what he couldn't. He thought training with Mercy was going to do terrific things for his skills, once he got over the bruises she'd added to his body.

Then it was time to shower before breakfast. Instead of getting dressed Lex had brought him leather cuffs to wear on his ankles and wrists. The look in his eyes promised so much. Tim had trembled with arousal as he put them on. Once they got to the table there was only one chair. A large soft cushion sat next to Lex's chair, kind of like the ones that big dogs laid on but made of plush velvet and embroidered with a large 'T' that was crossed with a large 'L'. The symbolism of that had sent Tim straight into Lex's arms for a passionate kiss.

Tim had been perfectly happy to settle on his cushion, kneeling with his wrists by his ankles so that Lex could secure him. He hadn't been sure how he'd eat this way but he knew Lex would explain it in time. Tim's cock had been weeping precum by the time Lex settled into his chair. Lex had eaten calmly, listening to Tim's stomach rumbling. The smirk had widened as Tim squirmed, hungry and sore. Then came the bite of food in Lex's fingers and for the first time Tim balked.

"Open up," Lex said. "This is all the breakfast you get, Little Bird. If it doesn't come from my hand you aren't getting it."

"Lex…" Tim hissed.

It was humiliating. Tim looked at the food but he couldn't do it. He couldn't open his mouth and let Lex feed him like a baby. Lex cocked his head at Tim, raising an eyebrow. Tim blushed, ducking his head. He knew that look. Even though it had only been a few days he already knew that look.

"Little Bird, you need to trust me," Lex said. He set the bite of food on the plate, out of Tim's line of sight. "I know what you can and cannot do. I know what you're capable of. You chose to come here and be with me. You should trust me. I will take care of you."

"I can eat on my own," Tim pouted. He sounded like a toddler complaining about not getting his way. It made his cheeks go flamingly red but the thought of getting fed this way made him horribly uncomfortable. It felt _wrong_.

"I suppose I could put the plate on the floor and let you eat that way," Lex said. His smirk widened as he considered it. "That delectable ass would be waving in the air for me to touch however I wanted. It would be rather messy though."

Tim's skin tingled as he blushed so violently that he got a little light-headed. While eating from Lex's hand made him feel horrible and weak, eating off of the floor strangely turned him on, especially if Lex played with him while he did it. He'd been kind of picturing that, trying to work out the angles he'd need as Lex bound him.

"I-I'd do that," Tim murmured, looking up at Lex hopefully. "I'd enjoy that. A lot."

"And I would enjoy feeling those luscious lips licking my fingers clean after eat bite," Lex murmured. He ran his thumb over Tim's lips. "I adore this mouth, Tim. It's a delight getting to touch it, to touch you. Let me feed you. Let my fingers explore that sweet mouth and give you new delights."

Tim whimpered, shaking as he battled his unhappiness with the idea. The way Lex said it made it sound so much better but the core discomfort remained. Tim's stomach rumbled so loudly that Lex laughed out loud. He offered the bite of food again. Tim hesitated for a long moment before opening his mouth for Lex. Hunger won over Tim's distaste. Lex rumbled something wordlessly as he slipped the bite of food into Tim's mouth. Tim licked his fingers clean, chewed and swallowed. Lex patiently fed Tim his breakfast. By the time Tim's stomach was full he barely had time to have a quick fuck before he had to dress and hurry to school.

Tim tried to settle back into his everyday routine once there but that central uncomfortable feeling about the feeding thing stayed with him. It didn't feel right somehow that Lex had overridden Tim's dislike of the idea. Tim thought about it but didn't get very far. He had chosen Lex. Lex knew so much more about these things that Tim did. It had to be all right. Lex wouldn't do anything that would hurt him. By the time lunch rolled around Tim had convinced himself that it was all right.

Lex liked it. Tim could learn to like it too, for Lex.

+++++

Roy waited outside of Tim's school. Fog had rolled in during the last hour, blanketing the area in grayness that matched pretty well with the way he felt lately. Jason and Dick were doing their best to get him up to speed on all the BDSM stuff. Roy had taken to surfing the Internet. He was reading every book he could find on it after tucking Lian in to sleep. He still felt like he was drowning. It was like he was adrift without an anchor.

It had all started after Lex kidnapped Tim. Everything had gone wrong once Lex latched onto his Tim. Tim's changes, the loss of their intimacy, the way Tim had pulled back, all if it began after Lex used Tim. What bothered Roy the most was that Lex was still using Tim. It might not show to anyone else but Roy knew that Lex was just taking what he wanted from Tim without truly caring about him. Unfortunately, it didn't show at all or Roy would have more of a reason to act.

Tim's Ducati looked perfectly normal. It was parked in its normal spot, waiting for its owner. He was still in school, still patrolling though he spent more time in Metropolis than in Gotham of late. He hadn't stopped going out and doing things with his friends at school. Tim was still Tim, for now.

Roy looked up as the school bell rang. The fog muffled its normal brash sound. A couple of minutes later kids started filtering out of the school. Roy ignored them, scanning the people appearing like ghosts for Tim's slim frame and dark hair. It didn't take long before Tim appeared out of the fog, smiling and chatting cheerfully with a couple of his friends. It was like nothing had happened. Roy's heart clenched at seeing him. God he missed Tim!

"Roy." Tim stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Roy sitting on his bike next to Tim's Ducati.

"Tim," Roy said, nodding to Tim's friends. They looked at the two of them with wide eyes and said their goodbyes, hurrying off to be swallowed by the fog. "I won't keep you. I just wanted to apologize."

"What?" Tim slowly walked closer, standing hesitantly just out of touching range. "Why?"

It hurt that he wouldn't get closer. In the back of Roy's mind there had been a wild fantasy that Tim would spot him and fly into his arms, begging him to save him from Lex. He knew it was stupid. Roy couldn't blame Tim for being cautious. Roy had let him down. Roy didn't let his pain or disappointment show. He wasn't here to force his emotions on Tim. He was here to apologize.

There was a vivid hickie just peeking out of Tim's collar. Roy had to force his eyes away from it to look at Tim's face. He hated the idea that Lex had put that mark on his Tim. He could see from the way Tim held himself that there were other marks hidden under his clothes. Tim had to be covered in bruises from the way he stood there. His left hip looked to have a bad bruise if the way he stood with his weight carefully canted onto his right leg. Tim didn't seem to notice that he was giving away his injuries with every breath. Roy shook his head, making himself start talking.

"I let you down," Roy explained while keeping his eyes locked on Tim's eyes. "Several times. I didn't realize you were hurting after Lex kidnapped you. I didn't understand that you needed more than I was giving you. I was so damned ashamed of myself when you came to the manor that I couldn't even look you in the eyes. I was so focused on myself that I couldn't see what you needed. I'm sorry."

Tim's mouth worked for a moment but no noise came out. He looked away, running a hand over the seat of his bike. His fingers left a clear trail in the condensation left by the fog. Tim wiped his fingers on his thigh, the fingers going into a fist for a second. Roy could see the emotions flickering over Tim's face: fear, want, confusion, sorrow, pain, anger. It seemed like his emotions were far more turbulent than before but maybe Roy just hadn't noticed before. Tim had never been much of a closed book.

"That's all?" Tim asked eventually. His eyes flicked over to Roy's and then away again, as if he couldn't meet Roy's eyes.

"No," Roy said. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, not letting his anger at the changes to Tim's behavior overwhelm him. "You're mine. I hate that Lex is touching you, using you. I know you think that this is your only choice but you're wrong. I will get you back, Tim. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to but I will get you back from Lex somehow."

"Why?" Tim asked. Roy could see his pulse pounding at his throat and temples. Tim's fingers trembled on the back of his bike.

"Because unlike Lex," Roy said as he reached out to touch Tim's cheek, "I love you. Lian misses you. See if you can visit the manor this weekend. Bruce and Clark will be babysitting her so that she can play with them."

Tim started so badly at the touch that Roy almost thought he was going to run away. He didn't. He stayed there, mouth open as he looked up at Roy. Roy started up his bike and pulled on his helmet. His fingers were shaking from fighting the urge to grab Tim and hold him close. Tim watched, his cheeks practically glowing from the force of his blush. He reached out and grabbed Roy's sleeve before Roy could drive away.

"You mean it?" Tim asked. "You really think I'm yours."

"Of course," Roy said. His stomach fluttered at how much he wanted to force Tim to come with him. He needed to save Tim from Lex. He needed to save him from himself even more. "I'm going to do whatever I have to Tim. I'll get you back. I swear."

Tim's hand fell away. There were tears hovering in his eyes. Roy didn't think Tim understood just how much he was willing to do yet but he'd get through to Tim eventually. Roy would keep coming back to talk to him. If Lex started restricting Tim's movements so that Roy couldn't get at him they'd all come and bust Tim out. The whole family agreed on that point.

Roy nodded to Tim and slowly drove away into the fog. Despite the gray darkness separating him from Tim, he felt like there was a little more light in his life. Just seeing Tim helped. Somehow he had to make Tim understand just what he did for Roy. Lian was his beautiful girl and he adored her, but Tim gave his life meaning. It might take the rest of their lives but Roy was determined to help Tim understand just what he meant to Roy.

+++++

Tim sat on his bike and watched the autumn leaves falling outside of the parking garage under Lex's penthouse. The leaves were almost all gone. The pretty red and gold ones had long since fallen and been swept away. The ones left on the trees were brown and crinkly, too dried up to let go easily. The ones that had fallen on the sidewalk had gone mushy in the last rain, staining the concrete with patches of brown and black.

It seemed like the perfect metaphor for his life lately. It wasn't as though he was unhappy with Lex. Lex was so much more than he'd expected sexually. Tim had tried so many things, learned so much from him. He'd never known that his body could experience pleasure and pain like what Lex had given him. It was incredible and he'd always be grateful for it. The way Lex accepted this part of his soul and approved of it fed a part of himself that he'd never known existed before.

Despite that, his heart was crying inside. Seeing Roy at the school had reminded him of everything that he'd given up in the most painful way possible. He missed Lian. He missed Roy more than he could think about without crying. He missed Jason and Dick and teasing them, though not so much being teased by them. He missed Clark and Bruce. He missed being able to patrol with them and stop crimes together.

It felt like he couldn't be there with them now, not because they wouldn't welcome him or because Lex would be upset but because he'd chosen the wrong side. Except that wasn't right. He hadn't chosen sides. Lex hadn't involved him in his activities. Besides, none of the stuff he'd seen or heard Lex do looked especially evil. From what Tim had seen Lex actually was a semi-respectable businessman who simply didn't trust Superman. He wasn't actually evil the way everyone said.

Tim hadn't started breaking laws. He hadn't committed any crimes. Everything he'd done so far had been perfectly legal. He hadn't changed. He was still Tim. He was still Robin. But he no longer _felt_ like Robin.

Tim sighed and drove into his parking spot in the garage. It felt very strange to have a spot set aside for him with his name and everything. The ride up to Lex's penthouse felt like it took a million years. Mercy raised an eyebrow at him when she spotted him. He made a face and shrugged. He had no idea why he was so upset and he didn't think he could explain it anyway. She nodded towards the kitchen. There was something like amusement mixed with faint worry in her eyes though her face was as cold as always.

"Ah, you're home," Lex said when Tim entered the kitchen. "What did Roy have to say?"

"Y-you know about that?" Tim asked, startled that Lex already knew.

"Of course," Lex answered, raising an eyebrow at Tim. "I do pay attention to what happens to you, Little Bird."

He held out a bite of lunchmeat. Tim hesitated before letting Lex feed it to him. The feel of the food sliding through his lips and Lex's fingers against his tongue caused a strange mixture of arousal and disgust. Lex smirked, rubbing his thumb over Tim's bottom lip possessively. Tim sighed as he leaned on the counter, chewing and swallowing the bite. Lex went back to making sandwiches.

"Roy wanted to say that he was sorry for failing me," Tim said eventually. "He wants me back."

"Humph," Lex snorted. "As if he could truly satisfy you. He doesn't even know what makes him happy. How could he satisfy someone as exquisite as you?"

"Yeah," Tim said, looking away. "I know."

Lex looked at him, the glance visible from the corner of Tim's eye. Tim sighed. He wasn't sure what to think. Roy had seemed different, more in control, more in command. It wasn't at all like Tim but there was something there that Tim had responded to more than normal. Tim's heart still loved him but he knew that there was no way they could be together. Lex was right. Roy couldn't give him what he needed. That was painfully obvious.

"Come," Lex said to Tim. "I made sandwiches for us as a quick dinner. I wanted to take you out tonight. There's a new show that I think you'll enjoy and then we can return here and spend the evening together."

"I do have a little homework I need to do for tomorrow," Tim said hesitantly.

"Then you had best hurry and finish it before it's time to leave," Lex declared. "I'll even let you feed yourself tonight, the better to speed your studies."

"Th-thank you," Tim said, blushing brightly as he realized that the feeding thing was going to be a normal part of their lives from now on. Tim swallowed hard as he took the sandwich from Lex. He would just have to get used to it, apparently.

"There's nothing to thank me for," Lex said. His eyes darkened as he leaned close to kiss Tim. "You're mine. I have to take care of what's mine."

+++++

Lex smiled as he led Tim through the Blackway Club's crowded venue. This time they had gathered in an old warehouse that had been secured for the evening. No one got in without proper membership or sponsorship. Lex doubted that even Superman could have gotten in tonight. After all, he'd provided some of the security measures; all the better to ensure that he could enjoy his time with his Little Bird without interruption.

The lighting was dim, with intermittent bare light bulbs pouring puddles of illumination on the warehouse floor. The puddles of light were surrounded by a sea of darkness that was threaded with faint paths for the club members to follow. The suspenseful lighting heightened the excitement of the venue. The warehouse was an old one, with thick brick walls reinforced by steel beams. No one would hear what happened inside. The organizers of tonight's show had created a series of environments, each with a specific activity on display. Tim stayed so close to Lex's side once they cleared security that he might have been glued to Lex's hip.

"W-what is this?" Tim whispered.

"This is a gathering of like-minded people," Lex explained as he led Tim from the central discussion area towards the series of environments. "The Blackway Club. I'm a member. In time I expect that you'll become a full member too, but there's time for that in the future. Come, I wanted you to see this. I think you'll like this quite a lot."

Darkness had fallen outside so the ambient light inside was almost nil. The organizers had put light strips to guide the guest from one environment to another, similar to sidewalks, through the warehouse. Each environment was enclosed in a tall tent that was brightly illuminated within. Tim shivered as Lex ushered him inside.

A young man hung suspended by his wrists from a rope to the ceiling overhead. A stretcher bar spread his legs far apart. The stretcher bar was chained to an O-ring on the floor, ensuring that he wouldn't swing too much. There were two tables covered with an array of whips, floggers and paddles. The young man's face was a mask of excitement, shame and anticipation behind the gag blocking his mouth.

"Lex?" Tim whispered, pressing up against him.

"Watch," Lex replied. He wrapped his arms around Tim, keeping his eyes on the young man.

One of the other Masters stepped forward, taking a paddle from the table. He smirked and laid five hard swats on the young man's ass. Another stepped forward and took a flogger, working the young man's upper back for five strokes. A third used a whip and left five perfectly spaced marks along the young man's left thigh. Tim shivered in Lex's arms, his breath coming faster as people continued to take turns.

"He'll take a total of one hundred blows and then be brought down and returned to his Master," Lex murmured to him. "No one is allowed more than five and they are not allowed to hit his vital organs or in the same place that someone else has struck. It's quite challenging to ensure that nothing… extreme happens."

The young man cried out and came as a Mistress put her five marks across the small of his back with a cane. Tim shuddered and hid his face in Lex's neck. Lex smirked, pulling Tim from the environment and onto the next one. The stark contrast of bright light to dark warehouse nearly blinded them but that was part of the charm of the situation. There was no way to know who was doing what in the darkness.

The second environment held a man and a woman bound together in coitus, their heads locked together with leather bondage gear so that they endlessly kissed. They lay on their sides, hips bound to each other and arms cuffed above their heads. One leg from each extended skywards, exposing their conjoined groins to the watchers. Tables with dildos bracketed them so that club members could use them on either the male or female's ass, or both. Tim swayed in Lex's arms as he watched twin Master's pegging the couple in perfect unison.

Lex pulled him on to a tent with careful scarification in process. It looked like it would be a beautiful design once complete. Every line that was to be cut had already been marked on the girl's body. She gasped and whimpered as the various Masters and Mistresses took turns adding one scar to her body. The next held a gang-bang where Masters were allowed to fuck three young people until they came over their stomachs. The following held a display where members were allowed to touch young people who served as living statues. They had been made up to look like nymphs, fairies and fawns this time, each with poses that allowed appropriate groping.

"You like," Lex commented as Tim panted into his neck.

"T-touching…" Tim whispered. "They're all touching and whispering, commenting on them. Seeing them, touching…"

"Mmm," Lex hummed, nuzzling Tim's hair. "Perhaps sometime we can include you in one of the shows. I think you'd be stunning as a firebird or maybe a sparrow hawk, Little Bird. I would love to watch you pose and hear them appreciate your beauty."

Tim surged up onto his toes to kiss Lex desperately, as if he was drowning and Lex's lips were the only things that could save him. Lex chuckled and picked Tim up, carrying him out of the lighted tent and into the darkness. He stripped Tim naked and proceeded to touch him as the others had touched the living statues, whispering appreciative things about his little slut. Tim came, came again very quickly, sobbed as Lex took him hard and fast, coming a third time with a muffled wail that brought chuckles from the darkness around them.

"Mine," Lex murmured into Tim's ear.

"Yes…always…" Tim whispered in a broken voice that sounded of tears and ecstasy.


	6. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim falls and falls into Lex's web, losing bits of himself along the way. Outside of the carefully crafted environment that he's trapped in Roy takes actions to get him out.

Lex hummed with the classical music playing on the sound system. It was grand and ominous, quite perfectly suited to the scene that he'd laid out tonight. Tim truly was a marvel. No matter what Lex did to him he came back for more. Lex wasn't sure if it was his training or if it was simply something innate to his personality. It didn't matter. Lex got to reap the rewards either way.

"Be still."

Tim whimpered around the penis-shaped gag stretching his mouth. He looked up at Lex with desperation in his eyes. He'd been hog-tied on his belly for nearly fifteen minutes now. Lex knew that very soon the desperate need would give way to frustration and then total acceptance. Every time Lex bound him the time needed to get Tim into the correct mental state decreased. He thought that soon, within a few days Tim would only need to see the various implements of their games before he was catapulted into a state of simultaneous sexual frenzy and total relaxation.

It was exquisite to watch him that way.

Lex walked around Tim, smiling at the way Tim whimpered. He tried to swivel his head to keep Lex in sight but the gag was secured to the bonds restraining his wrists and feet so Tim could only twitch. Tim's whole body flushed as he visibly considered all the things that Lex might do to him in this pose.

With his ankles and wrists secured at the small of his back there was nothing at all to prevent Lex from taking Tim. He could tickle him. He could beat him. He could ignore him entirely, not that Lex would. There was no enjoyment in ignoring a creature as beautiful as Tim. Lex watched. His smirk widened as Tim's arms and legs suddenly relaxed. It was as though his bones went liquid. Lex let him lie there for a while longer, waiting until the slight twitching of Tim's toes indicated both that it was time to remove the bonds and that he was just beginning to think again.

"My Bird," Lex purred. He knelt to rub lube over Tim's entrance.

"Mmmnnnn!" Tim gasped around the gag. It sounded like he was in ecstasy, which was exactly what Lex wanted.

"You belong to me," Lex said, grinning at Tim's loud noise of agreement. "Good boy."

Lex thrust his fingers into Tim, chuckling at the way he wailed around the gag. Lex finger-fucked Tim in time to the music, triggering the quick release on the bonds as the music reached its crescendo. Tim screamed and flailed, clutching the carpet underneath him as he came hard. He passed out. It was unsurprising to Lex. He had been tormenting Tim sexually for several hours without allowing him release. Tim seemed to greatly enjoy being denied.

Lex wiped his hands clean while studying Tim's unconscious body. His back was a beautiful pattern of bruises, whip marks and the occasional cane mark extending from just below the collar line down to his knees and out to his elbows. Between those marks Lex had left love bites, some deep enough to break the skin. He'd treated them, of course. Tim was entirely too special for Lex to treat him as a throwaway toy. Still, it was obvious that he'd have to pull back a little or his Little Bird's wings would be permanently broken. His spirit might be endlessly willing but his body did have limitations. He paged Mercy, still humming.

"Should I call the doctor, sir?" Mercy asked in her most neutral voice from the door.

"Arrange an appointment for the morning, Mercy," Lex said. He went and changed the CD to fast-paced techno music. "Go a bit easier on him in your training sessions. This comes first. His training and patrolling come second."

"He might not agree with that, sir," Mercy said. Her eyes were totally cold as she looked at Tim lying on the floor.

"Irrelevant," Lex said. "He belongs to me. I know what's best for him."

"All right, sir." Mercy nodded and left Lex alone with Tim.

A minute or so later Tim shuddered and twitched. Lex smiled, coming to his side to remove the gag. Tim moaned, working his lips for a moment before smiling at Lex with worship in his eyes. Lex ran his thumb over Tim's bottom lip, relishing the shudder that followed the touch.

"Is my Little Bird ready to give his Master what he needs?" Lex asked.

"Please," Tim begged, already struggling to his hands and knees so that he could service Lex.

"Good boy."

+++++

"But…"

"None of that," Lex said, holding up his hand against Tim's half-voiced protest. "You must remember that I do know what your body is capable of, Little Bird. You've enjoyed our activities a great deal over the last several weeks but you're rather impaired right now. Don't try and deny it. I've seen how your performance has declined and Mercy commented that you need a break."

"Oh," Tim swallowed and nodded, settling down on the cushion next to Lex.

He was much more sore than normal but then he normally didn't have sex like this _and_ patrol _and_ train with someone like Mercy. At best he would have done two of the three, though it would be better if it was just one. He hadn't looked at his back while bathing lately but he knew that he was a mess. Fortunately he didn't have PE at school or it would have been noticed quite a while ago.

Lex petted his hair, offering a bite of food. Tim's stomach twisted but he took it. Lex no longer let him eat anything unless it came from him. Tim no longer ate lunch at school. Lex had gone so far as to put a lock on the kitchen so that Tim couldn't get in without hiss approval. It hadn't gotten easier to let Lex feed him. It had gotten harder. Tim always wondered what was wrong with him that he couldn't enjoy something that his Master loved so much.

"Good boy," Lex said, caressing Tim's bottom lip with his thumb.

Tim tried not to shudder away from the touch. Lex chuckled. He seemed to think that the shudders were positive. Tim let him think it. It wasn't as though Tim had a choice about the eating or the shuddering. It was easier to let Lex have the last word, to think that he was right. He got so upset when anyone disagreed with him. Tim hated it so he was careful not to contradict Lex in any way.

Once dinner was done Lex led Tim into their bedroom, using the softest restraints to tie Tim up. Tim shuddered and struggled involuntarily, his thoughts flying at being restrained. He wanted to patrol. He wanted to go to Gotham. Things had been really bad in Gotham last night. He knew that Batman was having a hard time dealing with things there lately. He wanted to be there as much as he could for Batman but Lex was right. He was always right about these things. His body wasn't strong enough. He wouldn't be able to help Batman in a fight. It was better that he stayed here and played with Lex. He wouldn't want to get in Batman's way.

Lex petted his hip; his fingers gliding over a large bruise there. Tim shuddered and relaxed. Just the touch against the bruise reminded him of why he was there, of what they shared. A tiny part in the back of his mind was still uncomfortable with being so forward, with allowing himself to enjoy these things but it was fading rapidly under Lex's care. There weren't many things left that bothered him other than the feeding.

"Beautiful Bird," Lex whispered as he nuzzled Tim's ear. "So very beautiful as you submit to me."

Tim moaned, his voice cut off as Lex kissed him, silencing him under a passionate kiss while his hand stroked Tim to completion. Tim let go. This was where he belonged. Lex was right. He should stay here and make his Master happy. Batman had Dick and Jason and Clark to help him. It would be all right. Lex needed Tim right here in his bed.

"Shhh, no tears, Little Bird. I've got you."

Tim didn't say why he was crying. He didn't know. It didn't matter.

+++++

"You shouldn't be here."

"I know," Roy said.

He continued to stare at the monitor showing Lex's penthouse bedroom. It had taken Kryptonian technology to get this window into Tim's life. Roy thought that he might have developed a fetish for watching Tim sleep in Lex's arms. Or maybe it was just a fetish for watching the sexy creature that Tim had become, especially when he was wrapped up in bondage gear, gags and chains.

"Roy." Bruce's hand rests heavily on Roy's shoulder.

"Look at him." Roy pointed at the screen. "He's all dressed up with no place to go. You know how long it's been since he went on patrol?"

"Six days, eighteen hours, twenty-seven minutes," Bruce replied with a tired sigh. "He's injured. He can't patrol."

"And Lex is _keeping_ him that way!" Roy bellowed. He bolted to his feet and started pacing. "You can see it as well as I can. He's deliberately injuring Tim just enough that he won't leave the penthouse to patrol. His grades have dropped at school. His teachers are getting worried. His friends are so freaked out that Tim won't be around them anymore. He hasn't visited once since he went to stay with Lex. Lex is becoming his entire _world!_"

Bruce looked at him with that blank Batman face that said he was controlling every emotion he'd ever had. Bruce tapped several keys on the controls, calling up the defenses that Lex had put in around Tim. The school was guarded. His penthouse was a fortress. Every single point where they could have gotten at Tim was protected in one way or the other. Lex's men in armored cars even shadowed his drive to and from school. Roy was pretty sure Lex would take Tim's Ducati away and then he'd be trapped 24/7.

"Literally no place to go," Bruce said in his gravely Bat-voice.

"There has to be a way to get him out," Roy said. Rage at Lex and worry for Tim clawed at his heart. There had to be a way.

"None that are safe, sane or legal," Bruce sighed, rubbing his forehead. " Clark can't get close because of the kryptonite."

Roy nodded, understanding Bruce's reluctance to allow Clark to risk himself. Just like Tim and Dick, Clark was entirely too caring and too willing to put himself in harm's way. He'd go in and get himself killed if Bruce gave him a chance. Roy didn't blame Bruce for not wanting to risk his lover's life for Tim. He just couldn't go on like this anymore.

"Then it's time to do something insane, unsafe and violently illegal," Roy declared.

"What are you going to do?" Bruce asked, snapping his head around to stare at Roy.

"Don't ask," Roy said, heading for the elevator up to the manor. "I won't tell you. Just be ready for Tim when I get him back here. He's going to need a lot of help overcoming all of this."

Roy looked back at Bruce, asking him silently to trust Roy, to help him. Bruce looked at him for a long moment and then nodded. Roy's shoulders relaxed a little and he entered the elevator with a slightly lighter heart. Come what may he was getting Tim out of there. Now he just had to get Jason and maybe Dick in on this and they should be good to go.

+++++

"Mine," Lex murmured sleepily against the back of Tim's neck.

Tim shuddered, his breath catching in his throat. It was the wee hours of the morning. Tim didn't know exactly when since Lex's alarm clock was on the other side of the bed and he'd said that Tim didn't need one because Lex woke him up every morning. He knew it was after midnight but before 3:00 am by the look of the skyline outside. If it were before midnight there would be more headlights reflected up the building. If it were after 3:00 am then Lex would be stirring in his sleep the way he always did as morning approached.

Tim wasn't sure why he couldn't sleep. He should be exhausted after everything they'd done earlier. He thought that his stamina might be increasing but he was tired all the time during the day so that didn't seem likely. It was dark, the only light in the bedroom coming from the window. The darkness made him shiver. He never used to be afraid of the dark.

Tim tried to relax inside of the soft leather straps that Lex had wrapped around him. Lex's arm was wrapped around his belly. His leg was draped over Tim's hip. He was safe. Lex was there, with him all the time. Tomorrow was the last day of school before Christmas break. He'd get to spend all his time with Lex now. He'd be able to go to the office and suck Lex off under the desk. He'd be with Lex 24/7. It would be good.

His thoughts shifted from that thought like a mouse scurrying away from a cat, though Tim wasn't sure why that thought made him want to cry. He could just make out the selection of collars that Lex had laid out on the table by the window. The leather one with studs was a dark shadow to the right. The plain chain glinted in the light from the window like little stars cast in a puddle on the tabletop. The jeweled one was hidden inside of its purple velvet case. Lex had said that one was for special occasions when he wanted to show Tim off. The lock that Lex would use to secure the collars around his neck tomorrow after school lay in the middle of the collars, heavy and solid even in the darkness of the room.

'I should be happy,' Tim thought, scolding himself for the tears that tried to well up. 'I should be happy. He wants to make it permanent. They're like wedding rings. I should be happy that Lex wants me that much.'

Tim didn't allow himself to sob but he couldn't stop the tears running down his cheeks. He held still, doing his best not to tense up and wake Lex. Lex didn't need to see Tim crying. He didn't like it when Tim cried, not unless it was because of something they did together. Tim turned his face into the pillow so that it would soak up his tears.

He didn't know why he was crying. Lex loved him. He wanted him. He said every day how beautiful and exquisite Tim was. He gave Tim lovely things, like food and clothes and now collars that would show everyone who he belonged to. He let Tim come sometimes, not every time but quite frequently. There was no reason for him to be crying.

He didn't allow himself to think the name that went with the face in his mind. Lex didn't like it when he thought about Roy.

Tim mentally scolded himself for thinking _that_ name. That name wasn't allowed. Only Lex's name should be in his head. He'd have to be better, work harder so that Lex would still love him despite it.

+++++

The first snowfall of the year had stared overnight, making their task both easier and harder. The streets of Metropolis were white with snow that was rapidly turning to slushy heaps in the medians. The snow kept falling all day, burying most everyone under its fine white veil. Roy was grateful for it at the same time as he cursed it. It limited where Tim could run but it also limited their actions.

Dick and Jason had both volunteered to help out. Dick had arranged for the safe house they'd hide in, contacting some of his play partners at the Emperion Club. It would be way better than anything Roy had seen according to Dick. Roy didn't care as long as it was outside of Luthor's range of control.

Jason had done most of the larceny that had been necessary to get this set up. He'd seemed completely calm about it though he'd cursed when Dick emphasized that they didn't want to kill anyone before they got started. Roy noted the 'before' and put it down to Dick's desire to see Tim free. He wasn't going to ask if Dick really meant that it would be okay for Jason to kill Luthor's men once they attacked. Roy was more than prepared to do it if he needed to, though he'd probably spend the rest of his life atoning for it.

By early morning they had the plan ready, plus a backup plan, plus a backup to the backup and then there was the damned fool stunt that Roy was considering in the back of his mind if Tim made this too difficult. He didn't want to hurt either Tim or himself but there was no way in hell he was going to let Tim go back to Luthor after this afternoon. He'd let himself be killed if it got Tim out. Jason and Bruce would be able to take care of Tim. Clark and Bruce would love Lian if he died. It would be worth it to see Tim free.

Jason watched at the edge of Luthor's defenses around Tim, radioing them his movements. Tim went to the last day of school without any awareness of being watched. He went to class unaware that his classmates and teachers were watching him with wary eyes. He didn't eat lunch, instead going to the library to read. He attended his afternoon classes and then got on his bike and drove from his school to Lex's penthouse.

The snow had continued all day, making the side roads impassible for most bikes. Tim's Ducati wasn't most bikes but he still rode cautiously. It was almost as though he was afraid of the bike or afraid that he couldn't control it properly anymore. They waited until Tim passed the halfway point.

"You better be right about this," Jason snarled over the radio to Roy.

"It's the only way and you know it," Roy replied.

Jason growled and fired a rocket launcher at Tim's bike.

Luthor's goons materialized before the rocket had hit the snow-covered pavement. Several black sedans sped up to surround Tim just before the rocket hit. It created a crater just behind Tim's position, blocking traffic from following him.

Jason fired again, this time aiming at the armored sedans. They blew up. Jason laughed through over the radio. It was a laugh that made the hair stand up on the back of Roy's neck. Tim cast one look behind him and took off, revving his bike to fly down the snowy roads. He left his covering caravan behind almost instantly, which was what they'd been hoping for. Roy roared out of a side street and took off after him, chasing him.

It wasn't like any of their chase games before. Roy knew that Tim had no idea who they were. They'd deliberately stolen bikes and wore nondescript clothing so no one would recognize them. Tim was honestly fleeing for his life, though he was trying to flee from his rescue.

He drove like a maniac. The Ducati was fast that Roy could just barely keep up with him but that was all right. He only had to keep up and then make Tim go where he wanted. He roared up and tried to bump into Tim's bike. Tim dodged perfectly, swinging around a car as if it was parked and then flying down a mostly clear side street. Roy grinned behind his mirrored helmet. Perfect.

He dove after Tim. He cut across traffic, leaving crashed cars and cursing people behind him. He nearly missed sending Tim down the next turn to the left. As it was Roy avoided crashing into the building by bouncing off of a parked car. He'd barely managed to get his leg out of the way before the bounce.

Another near miss sent Tim down the right street, the last street, and the one leading to their trap. Tim headed straight for the rumble strip that Dick had laid out. Roy prayed for all he was worth as Tim skidded and then went over it. The tires on his Ducati shredded. His traction disappeared. Tim's bike flipped out from under him, sending him rolling across the snowy pavement to crash into the big black SUV that Jason had stolen that morning.

Roy went straight over the rumble strip and did a controlled tumble when his bike flipped out from under him. As he came up Dick reached out of the SUV and tossed Tim into the back seat. Jason materialized out of an alley, tossing his rocket launcher towards the discarded bikes. He ran to take the driver's seat. Roy jumped into the back seat with Tim.

He had to shove Tim down onto the seat. Tim struggled, whimpering quietly. His breath was coming in terrified pants. Tim was hard as a rock as soon as Roy grabbed his wrists and zip-tied them behind his back. Roy shoved Tim into his seat and secured the seat belt around him before slamming his door.

"Go!" Roy shouted to Jason.

"Gone," Jason growled.

The tires on the SUV squealed as Jason peeled out. They fishtailed for a moment before Jason got control, sending them flying down the road to the highway that would lead them to the safe house Dick had set up.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Tim asked. His voice was groggy as if he'd hit his head. "Why are you kidnapping me? L-Lex won't let you get away with this."

"We're saving you," Roy said.

He pulled off Tim's helmet, looking at him. He had a nasty bump on his forehead but it was the terror in his eyes that got Roy. Roy pulled off his helmet so that Tim could see who had taken him. It wasn't strangers kidnapping him. It was his family.

Tim whimpered the instant he saw Roy's face. He scrambled backwards, pressing into the seat as if he was terrified of Roy. Tears ran down his face as he mouthed Roy's name. Tim turned away, shutting his eyes so that he couldn't see Roy. Roy didn't reach out to him. Dick made a sick sounding noise in his throat, looking over his shoulder at Tim with hurt in his eyes.

"I did warn you," Jason growled, driving through Metropolis' streets like a maniac. The police were chasing them already, along with Luthor's men. "I told you Luthor would fuck with his brain."

"I know," Roy said. "Just get us to safety, Jason. We'll deal with it later."

"You got it," Jason said with one of his lunatic grins. "Better fasten your seatbelts. This is going to get bumpy."

+++++

"What do you mean he's been kidnapped?" Lex bellowed. "Do you have any idea the defenses I've put around that boy?"

"I know sir," Mercy said.

Her eyes were at their narrowest and she looked like she was going to spend the next several weeks methodically killing her way through Lex's security staff to weed out the weak links. Lex made a mental note to have the HR people put out job notices for more security personnel, this time with proper training and credentials.

"They used rocket launchers from the top of a near-by building to destroy the cars following him. A chase biker herded him into this location," Mercy showed Lex on the map, "and then forced him over a rumble strip that shredded his bike's tires. We've recovered the Ducati, the chaser's bike and the rumble strip, as well as the rocket launcher used in the attack. They were all stolen, as was the SUV they used to escape. That was dumped here," she pointed at the map again. "It was completely clean of prints. There are sixteen separate stolen vehicle reports for this area so we haven't been able to determine which was used for the rest of the escape. I have your people looking for hair and other evidence in the stolen SUV at the moment. Searchers are already combing Metropolis, Gotham and the surrounding areas."

"Fuck!" Lex smashed his fist into the desk, making it jump. "I should have kept him on a short leash!"

"I thought that was the plan for this afternoon," Mercy commented with a raised eyebrow.

Lex snorted, amused in spite of himself. He couldn't deny that he'd spent several hours today admiring the leashes he'd chosen for Tim.

He shook his head after a moment, fury returning full force. He didn't know who these people were. None of his rivals would act in this way and there was no way that Batman or Superman would have authorized this little 'adventure'. The possibility of seriously injuring or killing Tim had been too high. He couldn't think of anyone who would have that much of a stake in Tim to…

"Where is Roy Harper?" Lex asked, suspicion hardening into certainty almost instantly.

Mercy raised an eyebrow at the question but nodded slowly as if considering it seriously. She called up the trackers that they'd put on the Bat clan. Bruce was in Gotham at some society charity event. Superman was patrolling in Metropolis, well away from Tim's abduction. Dick, Jason and Roy were all off of the map. Lian, Roy's daughter, had disappeared as well.

"Them," Lex hissed. "They took him. I want him back, Mercy. Do what you have to but get him back."

"Yes sir," Mercy said calmly. "Perhaps we can have an exchange of hostages? Superman is in the area."

"Not a bad thought but unnecessary at this time," Lex said. "Find them and there won't be any need for an exchange."

"Do you want anyone alive but Tim?" Mercy asked.

"No. I'm tired of their interference. Get rid of them, especially Roy Harper."


	7. Caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim's been rescued from Lex's clutches but his heart and soul still belong to Lex. Roy works hard to save Tim's mind while Lex works just as hard to get his Little Bird back.

Roy hadn't thought that the aftermath of Tim's rescue would be candlelight, chocolate and hugs. While he'd entertained a few fantasies about how Tim would be relieved and maybe say thank you, he'd know that Tim was messed up. Seriously messed up. He'd known before they went in that Lex had fucked with Tim's mind so badly that he might never be who he used to be. He hadn't expected it to be this bad though.

"Let me go!" Tim screamed as he fought against Jason and Dick. "Let me _go!_ I have to go back! You can't keep me here!"

They had firm grips on his arms but it took both of them to hold him now that the zip-tie had been removed. They'd made it to the safe house with minimal trouble. The snow had made things harder but their series of stolen cars had made them virtually untraceable. Roy wasn't sure how many car's Jason had stolen and stashed for their getaway but it had to be over a hundred. Tim hadn't fought at first but by the time they arrived he was growling at Dick and Jason. He still flinched away from Roy.

Getting him into the house had taken Roy acting like Lex. Doing that had sent Roy to the bathroom to lose his last meal, which left Tim in Jason and Dick's hands. Andrew and Cody had provided them a house in rural Pennsylvania. Roy was grateful that it was soundproofed and strong enough to take serious BDSM activities. It looked like Tim was going to try and fight his way out. Roy hadn't expected that they'd actually need the one-way mirror that Jason installed in Tim's room but apparently they would.

"Damn it! Calm down, Timmy," Jason snarled.

Tim twisted like his spine was made of rubber and kicked out at Jason. Jason tried to dodge the blow but he didn't move quite fast enough. He cursed as Tim caught him in the knee with one heel. Jason's leg nearly gave out on him but he didn't relax his grip on Tim's arm.

"Come on Tim. It's us," Dick pleaded. He was barely able to keep his grip on Tim with the way he struggled. "Tim. Timothy! Stop it!"

Dick's words didn't appear to get through to Tim any better than Jason's cursing. Tim shouted wordlessly and hauled, nearly dislocating both of his shoulders as he tried to break free from their hands. Jason snarled and hit Tim hard enough to knock him to the floor. Tim lay there stunned for a long moment. Roy hesitated outside the door. This was so wrong. Tim shouldn't be fighting them this way. Tim shook his head and tried to struggle to his feet. Dick's expression was tragic. Jason's was purely pissed off. Tim looked so wild-eyed that Roy suspected he barely recognized Dick and Jason.

"That's enough," Roy snapped.

He opened the door and came in despite Jason and Dick's earlier warnings to let him deal with Tim until he calmed down. It didn't look like Tim was going to calm down. Roy would deal with his revulsion at what Luthor had done to his boy. Tim needed him more than Roy needed a little distance at the moment.

"No…"

Tim shuddered and turned away as if merely seeing Roy would get him punished. He refused to look at Roy, turning his face so far away that he literally couldn't see Roy even in his peripheral vision. He also calmed dramatically. The fight drained out of him as though an artery had been cut. As Roy watched Tim went from a fierce warrior to a trembling slave. It was horrifying to see what Lex had done to him. Roy wasn't sure how to undo it. Roy took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he tried to release the tension in his shoulders the same way he would before a critical shot. It helped.

"Go on, guys," Roy told Jason and Dick. "I'll sit with him."

"Fucking hell," Jason grumbled, rubbing his knee. "He's learned some new techniques. Didn't see that one coming."

"Are you sure you want to stay with him?" Dick asked Roy.

He supported Jason so that they could leave together. It didn't look like Jason was going to be walking on his own for a little bit. Hopefully Tim hadn't broken his knee with that kick.

"Yeah," Roy nodded. "I'm sure. Bring us some food and water, please. I think we could both use it."

Once Dick and Jason left Roy shut the bedroom door. Tim immediately scrambled backwards until he hit the far wall. He curled in a ball in the corner as if he had to guard his back against attack from Roy. Roy watched silently, waiting for Tim to say or do something. He didn't. Instead Tim shut his eyes and rested his forehead on his knees. He was visibly shaking despite how hard he was hugging his knees to his chest.

Roy sighed, sitting on the floor to watch Tim. No, he hadn't expected a joyful reunion right out of the gate but if he'd known that Lex had deliberately brainwashed Tim to be afraid of Roy he'd have done this much sooner. This was going to be a lot harder than he'd expected.

+++++

Lex hadn't expected a power play of this caliber out of Roy Harper. He hadn't had this competent of a challenge to his authority in years. Not only had Roy stolen Tim out from under Lex's nose but he'd apparently also gotten away with him. He hadn't lost this much face in years, outside of his battles with Superman. Lex wasn't as furious as he had been intially. Vengeance would be his in time. The important thing was getting Tim back. Everything else paled in comparison to that.

"There's no possibility of his being held somewhere in Metropolis or Gotham," Mercy said as she studied the reports from Lex's operatives. "We've checked every location that Tim, Roy, Dick and Jason have been known to frequent. We already had information on their respective safe houses and apartments. Nothing has been found in any of their known locations. He isn't in Wayne Manor. That we're quite certain of given the bugs we've planted there. We don't know where they took him yet. He might as well have dropped off the face of the planet, sir."

"The snow certainly isn't helping," Lex commented quietly. He stared out the penthouse window at the white draped over Metropolis like a shroud. The snow had continued to fall for the last two days. It looked to continue for several days more at least. "We haven't had a snowstorm like this in decades."

"Agreed," Mercy growled. "It will hamper their movements more than ours fortunately. We should be able to locate them before they can move on."

"Check all of their contacts, Mercy," Lex said thoughtfully. "They haven't gone to one of their safe houses so they must have gone to a contact's safe house."

"Yes sir."

Mercy came back several hours later, frowning at her paperwork. She wordlessly handed over the file that had her confounded.

"Dick Grayson is a member of the Emperion Club?" Lex said as he rubbed his bottom lip thoughtfully. "They would be quite pleased to help steal one of my boys. They've certainly done it before. Check on the members, Mercy. See who has associated with Dick, Jason and Roy in the past. Check their properties. They can't have taken Tim too far. He has to be somewhere within several hours drive at most."

"Yes sir," Mercy said. Her frown turned into an anticipatory smirk. "And if they object to your attention?"

"Deal with them," Lex ordered. "None of them are powerful enough to stop me. None of them would dare, not with the Blackway Club backing me up. In fact, while you work on that I believe I will make some calls. The other members will probably be delighted to help me in this endeavor. We've had entirely too many problems with the Emperion Club's interference in our activities. This might be the perfect chance to destroy them."

"Yes sir," Mercy nodded. "Good luck sir."

"Find him, Mercy." Lex fixed her with a pointed glare. "I want Tim back."

"We'll find him," Mercy promised. "The only question will be in what condition."

"I shudder to think all the retraining I'm going to have to do," Lex sighed. "I'd only just gotten properlty trained. I'm sure that Roy will destroy all my progress. Go."

Lex settled in to make a series of phone calls. Roy might think that he had the upper hand but he would learn exactly what he had done soon enough. No matter how powerful he thought he was with Bruce and the Emperion Club's backing he would be no match for everything that Lex could bring to bear.

+++++

Tim's dinner sat in front of him, long since cool. Roy had eaten cross-legged on the floor, calmly waiting for Tim's hunger to overwhelm his fear and confusion. It had been three days. They'd managed to get him to eat twice and he was drinking plenty of water. He was profoundly reluctant to eat though. There was a strange mixture of want and worry as he gazed at the plate of food. Roy wasn't sure why Tim had this much trouble with eating. Tim had refused to answer any of their questions so far. All he would say was that he wanted to go back to Lex.

The first day Roy had made Tim strip down and let them photograph all of his injuries. Tim had been white as a sheet the entire time but now they had evidence of how Tim had been treated. Jason had spent that entire night cursing and threatening to go and hand Luthor his balls. Dick managed to keep him in the safe house but only barely. Dick's friend Andrew had taken the pictures to the police, informing them of the abuse that had occurred.

"Daddy?" Lian asked, poking her head into the room. Tim flinched and turned away, his face burning. Lian looked sad but determined.

"Hey Princess," Roy said, smiling at her. "What's up?"

"I brought you something," Lian said. She carried in one of Roy's traditional drums, setting it next to Roy on the floor. "I thought that you might like to play. Since there's not much else to do."

"Good idea," Roy said.

He gave her a fierce hug that she returned just as ferociously. She shook in his arms, trying to hide her upset at Tim's response to her. Roy gave her a kiss and sent her on her way. Lian looked at Tim with sorrow in her eyes before going to the door.

"Love you, Tim," Lian declared before she ran out of the room.

"She missed you," Roy said softly. Tears had begun to creep down Tim's cheeks. "We all missed you."

Tim didn't reply. Roy sighed and picked up his drum. He played an old, old lullabye, singing softly in time with the music. He didn't have the best voice ever but he couldn't care less. The music helped him feel better. Hopefully it would help Tim feel better.

Tim slowly uncurled from the corner, looking at the drum instead of at Roy's face. His hands twitched on his thighs a couple of times but he didn't reach for the food. Roy finished the lullabye and moved on to an slow dance, then a song he frequently sang for Lian. By the time he stopped his throat was sore.

"Sorry, not used to singing so long," Roy said as he set the drum aside.

"Lex didn't sing," Tim whispered. "He played CD's. He fed me by hand."

"I'd rather have real music than CD's," Roy said a heck of a lot more calmly than he'd expected given the joy blasting through him. "And you're able to feed yourself, Tim. I'd never make you do something you don't want to. If you want me to feed you though, I will. I want you to be happy."

Tim raised his eyes, finally meeting Roy's eyes. He was shaking as he did it, as if looking at Roy was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. Roy sat very still so that he wouldn't spook Tim. He was careful to keep his hands loose in his lap.

"I… have permission?" Tim whispered. "To eat on my own?"

"You do," Roy nodded. "You have permission to eat and bathe and go to the bathroom and change your clothes on your own. You can't leave but then none of us can either."

Tim looked surprised, staring around the room as if expecting to see guards forcing them to stay. Roy chuckled, grinning at Tim. Tim started, his eyes locking on Roy's face.

"We're snowed in," Roy explained. "Blizzard of the century out there. We've got enough food to last over two months so we'll be all right but no one is going anywhere for quite a while."

Tim's lips quirked in a lightning-quick smile that gave Roy a hint of the boy he used to be. He laughed soundlessly for a second before reaching shaking hands out to take the plate of food. Roy stayed still and watched Tim slowly eat his dinner. Tim cried silently the whole time he ate but he was smiling as if it was a gift.

+++++

Lex's toy was still missing. It was highly aggravating that Roy had managed to steal his possession that successfully. A full week later and Mercy was no closer to locating where Tim was hidden. Lex had been just as unsuccessful so she had yet to face any punishment for her failure. If she continued to fail then it would happen inevitably. Not even Mercy was safe from appropriate punishment when she failed him.

Lex had made a small bit of progress. He had located the one person in the Emperion Club that Dick had spoken to most frequently before Tim's kidnapping. Andrew was a frequent play parter of Dick's and he appeared to be friends with Andrew's boy Cody. Lex had no idea why Andrew was so fond of Cody. The little slut had been most disappointing as a pet, to the point that Lex hadn't bothered to get the brat back when Andrew had taken him away from Lex. He'd been broken by that point anyway so Lex had been considering disposing of him.

Either way, Andrew was the most likely accomplice to Tim's kidnapping. He had enough money to support Roy and his little band of kidnappers for quite some time and multiple properties that were sufficiently remote as to be hard to find and close enough for them to have reached them before the snow made travel impossible.

"Andrew," Lex drawled into the phone. "I believe you have something that is mine."

"Cody is no longer yours, Lex," Andrew said in an equally calm, threatening drawl. "You threw him away, remember? He was too broken for you to play with anymore. You shouldn't break your toys and then try and take them back when someone else fixes them."

"As if I care about that little slut," Lex snorted. "He was quite worthless even when I did have him."

"Ah, then you mean your latest toy." Andrew had the nerve to chuckle. "I'm so very sorry, Lex but I don't have him. His original owner stole him back. I have to commend him for that little stunt. It was quite daring, wasn't it? The news was full of the daring attack on your men. Odd that none of the reports mentioned the true target but then I suppose you wouldn't want people to know that you'd been stolen from. Bad for your image."

Lex's jaw worked as rage flared. He could tell just from Andrew's tone of voice that he did know where Tim was. At the very least that narrowed the search considerably. Lex noted Andrew's name for Mercy to follow up on later. Tim would be at one of Andrew's properties. It wouldn't be difficult to track down which one it was. Andrew's security wasn't good enough to stop Lex's people.

"Quite," Lex snapped. "Not that it will do any good in the final analysis. Tim Drake belongs to me. He chose to be with me. He will be back."

"I rather doubt that," Andrew said just as sharply as Lex. "You see, the police have detailed pictures of his injuries. Quite, quite… detailed. With a ruler and everything. They focused on the bites, you know. There were so many bites, Lex. It's quite amazing how many bites that young man had on his body. Six of them were identifiable."

Lex rocked back in his chair, staring across the room blindly. That was something he hadn't expected. That Roy would subject Tim to being photographed before the marks had faded was something of a shock. He would have to remember that Roy was a good bit more ruthless than he'd thought. He was snapped out of his plans by Andrew's voice.

"Those bites were so distinctive," Andrew mused as if it was something that he was puzzled by. Lex could hear the deep satisfaction in his voice. "The police were quite fascinated by them. You see there are six unsolved murders. Each of those young men were found with bites that exactly matched the ones found on Tim's body."

"Interesting that you know this," Lex said. He strove for a politely disinterested tone but his voice sounded far more threatening than anything else. "I'm surprised that you took time from your socializing to learn this much."

"You know the Emperion Club," Andrew chuckled. "We're always gossiping. Several of the members are working on the investigations. It looks like they're going to combine the separate murder investigations into a federal case."

The clear threat behind Andrew's mock-gossip was that Tim could directly finger Lex as the one who gave him the bites. The words that Andrew hadn't spoken hung in the air. Of course, Cody could finger Lex as well but he'd been so traumatized by Lex's treatment of him that he wouldn't be able to do it. He wouldn't be able to look Lex in the face and identify him.

Lex kept his jaw shut against the cursing raging through his head. He didn't have anywhere near that level of faith that Tim wouldn't testify. The boy had not been fully broken when he was stolen. Roy would do everything he could to ensure that Tim turned on him. He would have to get Tim back quickly.

"It's quite amazing how the investigation is proceeding," Andrew continued in that mock-light-hearted tone. "They're making all sorts of connections. One of my friends commented on the fact that one of the boys died immediately after a Blackway Club meeting, again with those bite marks on his body. Of course, there were multiple other bite marks that were identifiable to other people so this might go much farther than one would initially think."

"I see," Lex said. He did see. The Blackway Club could either back off or they would be dragged down with Lex.

"I'm glad that you do," Andrew purred. "I've gotten some rather… interesting phone calls from some of your associates lately. I've been telling them all about the remarkable coincidences of the bite marks. Everyone has been quite fascinated by that. I got some truly excited comments after sharing that little tidbit of information. Well, as _lovely_ as it's been chatting with you I'm sure that you have things to do, Lex."

"I do indeed," Lex said. His voice remained admirably calm, rather to Lex's relief. He wouldn't want Andrew to know that he'd rattled Lex.

"Have a wonderful evening, Lex," Andrew said. His voice all but oozed satisfaction as he hung up.

Lex hung up and signaled for Mercy. She came in with her shoulders stiff and her carraige wary. Her eyes were as cold as ice as she gazed at him. Lex passed over the note with Andrew's scribbled name. She stiffened a little at the expression on Lex's face. He could see her adjusting her expectations from punishment to a project for her to complete.

"Eliminate him," Lex ordered. "Completely separately from the current business, find a way to kill him and his boy Cody. Make it untraceable. There is no timeline on that. I want him and his boy removed from the world, no matter how long it takes to reach them."

"Yes sir," Mercy said.

She nodded, folded the note, and left. She walked like a woman on a mission. Lex smiled grimly. Time for him to work on his mission. Andrew's properties would be where he would locate Tim Drake, Roy Harper and the others. He would have to move quickly to ensure that Tim was returned to his side before Roy could turn him against Lex.

+++++

"We're really snowed in," Tim breathed.

He stared out the window at the snow in awe. Lian had been doing the same thing earlier but for very different reasons. While Tim seemed to look at it as an obstacle Lian had looked at it with pure joy. She'd never seen this much snow fall this quickly before.

She and Dick were in the back yard making snowmen at the moment. Jason leaned against the wall by the door, watching Roy and Tim look out the front window. The snow was over four feet deep so far. It was still falling. Roy expected that before it stopped they'd have about five feet of snow on the ground. The drifts were even higher.

"Thoroughly snowed in," Roy said. "I meant it that we weren't going anywhere anytime soon."

He smiled sadly at Tim. The bruises were starting to fade. Tim was highly reluctant to let Roy or the others see him naked, quite understandably, but Roy had insisted on treating the bites and other bad marks Lex had left. He would have quite a few scars once he healed up but it looked as though he'd have full fuction.

Tim was just beginning to open up again. He no longer hid in corners. He ate his meals at the table with everyone else, though he wouldn't meet their eyes. He responded to the love that everyone, even Jason, gave him like a sponge, soaking it all up. Eight days wasn't enough to fix everything but it looked like they'd made a good start.

"What now?" Tim whispered without looking at Roy. He kept his eyes locked on the snow drifts outside.

"More of the same." Roy shrugged. "I love you. Whatever you want, I'll do for you within limitations. I won't hurt you, not like Lex. I won't leave permanent marks on your body. I won't damage you so badly that you can't patrol or train. I can't be that for you, not without destroying my soul. I will give you non-permanent sorts of pain if that's what you need. Jason's offered to help out when you really need to be taken down."

Tim started. He turned to stare at Jason who smirked at him despite the pain in his eyes. He looked at Jason and then turned back to Roy with wide eyes. Roy tried hard not to chuckle at the expression on Tim's face. He knew that his expression had been much, much worse when Jason made the offer initially. Lian had snapped a picture and shown him.

"You'd let us be together?" Tim asked. His shock and surprise at that showed clearly on his face.

"I would," Roy nodded. "I'd insist on ground rules and a carefully planned out scene, which I'm sure that Lex didn't teach you about. I've seen Jason with Dick several times now. As long as I was there to watch over you I'd let you play with him. Or with Dick, for that matter."

"Please," Jason drawled. "Dicky's the subbiest sub who ever subbed. They'd end up doing absolutely nothing serious."

"Granted," Roy chuckled. "And you don't think it would be hot to watch the two of them together? Performing for their Sirs?"

"I didn't say that!" Jason's cheeks went bright red and he looked away.

He shifted position uncomfortably and adjusted his crotch. He glared at Roy who laughed quietly. Tim stared at both of them, his head swiveling back and forth. His pants had gotten snug at the thought of it. As he realized that both Jason and Roy were serious he moaned. He shut his eyes and tilted his head back before turning back to the window. He put his hands on the sill, looking out at the snow. His fingers were trembling.

"Lex… wouldn't share me," Tim whispered barely loudly enough for Roy to hear him.

"Lex was greedy and abusive," Roy said gently. "We all love you Tim. We want you to be happy. Everyone, from Bruce and Clark on down to Lian and Alfred, want nothing more than for you to be happy and healthy. We'll figure it out. Whatever it takes to make you happy, we'll do."

Tim smiled for an instant before his face went Robin-serious. His shoulders straightened in a way that Roy hadn't seen since the rape. The old Tim was back, the one who thought four times faster than anyone else and saw farther than Clark with his super vision. When he turned to look at Roy it wasn't Tim looking at him. It was the long-lost Robin looking back. Roy's face stretched in an involuntary grin of delight. Jason straightened up and smiled too, obviously delighted to see Tim looking this way again.

"Lex won't let me go," Tim said. It wasn't what Roy had expected him to say. "He'll find us. He'll attack Lian. He'll attack Dick's friends. He'll attack Bruce."

"We know," Roy agreed. "We're prepared for it."

Tim cocked his head at Roy, his eyes distant and calculating. Thoughts clicked by behind his eyes too fast for Roy to follow. He looked out at the snow, then around the room. It was as though he was considering all the ways that the could be attacked.

"Are you?" Tim challenged.

The way he said it made Roy pause. Roy looked around, considering it. They could be more prepared. There was no doubt about that. Roy smiled at Tim.

"What do you think we need to do?" Roy asked.

Tim's breath caught at the respect in Roy's question. He shut his eyes which were shining with tears. When he opened them the fear and hesitation was still there but the old Tim shone through. Roy's heart clenched that his Tim was still in there. Lex hadn't destroyed his boy. There was still a chance that they could be happy together, as long as Lex didn't get his hands on them.


	8. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex figures out where Roy is hiding and sets out to recapture Tim. In the meantime Tim gets some help with his emotional wounds from someone who understands just what he's going through.

"You can't run away from me," Lex murmured as he studied the latest list of properties that could hold Roy and his little band of kidnappers. "I will get him back."

His efforts to enlist the aid of the Blackway Club had died on the vine after Andrew's interference. Everyone had made it quite clear that Lex was on his own. Any consequences that came from his actions would be his to bear without any assistance, not that Lex cared. None of the other members were returning Lex's calls anymore. A couple of them had sent completely untraceable but very pointed messages that it would be wise to back off on this matter.

Lex snorted. That was the last thing that he would do. He was Lex Luthor, archenemy of Superman. If Superman failed to impress Lex, there was no reason why a band of fully human punks in spandex were going to give him pause. They were nothing more than obstacles in his way and they would be dealt with in just as summary a fashion.

He dreaded to think of the brainwashing that Roy, Dick and Jason were inflicting on his boy. They would likely be attempting to undo all of his work in training Tim, though much of it had been merely channeling Tim's natural instincts. Tim was the perfect masochistic sub. It hadn't taken much to make him Lex's.

Unfortunately, it had been nearly a full thirteen days since Tim was taken. His very nature would make him quite susceptible to Roy's persuasions. He was sure that Tim was resisting their efforts but the boy was entirely too malleable. He would give in to them. He might retain that core that Lex had created but he would give in, at least on the surface. Lex needed to get his Little Bird back before too much damage was done to him. The retraining would take so much longer and be far too messy otherwise. He had no desire to cripple Tim.

"Interesting," Lex hummed as he studied one particular property. "This looks quite promising."

He signaled Mercy, nodding slowly over the information as she came in. He showed her the packet of data his people had gathered on the address in rural Pennsylvania. She studied the information and a cold smile bloomed on her face. Lex chuckled. Mercy truly was helpful in these matters.

"Your instincts concur with mine?" Lex asked with a smirk..

"Yes sir." Mercy nodded. "This is the best option yet."

"It's actually owned by Andrew's boy Cody," Lex said with a wicked smile that Mercy echoed. "Once I expanded the search to include him it was quite easy to find. It makes sense that Cody would offer, given his experiences with me."

"Quite so, sir," Mercy said. "Shall I send in our people?"

Her smile disappeared into her normal cold calm. She sorted the packet of information back into order and tucked it back into its folder. Lex considered it while looking out at the snow. They needed to act, no matter what the weather dictated. Tim had to be returned as soon as possible.

"Yes," Lex decided. "Move quickly. I doubt that they've fully broken Tim but there's always the possibility that he's caved. I need him back quickly to undo the damage they've done."

She nodded and walked out of his office. Lex smiled and leaned back into his chair to study the snow outside. It would likely take snowmobiles and paratroopers to get into the site but that hardly mattered. Lex had resources and Roy did not. They would not keep Tim from him.

"No, you cannot run from me, Roy Harper," Lex murmured to the window. "I will have him back."

+++++

"There it is!" Cody squealed, bouncing in his seat.

He grinned at his Sir, delighted that they got to go out to see everyone, especially Dick and Tim. It had been way too long since they'd gotten to play with Dick. And Tim, Tim had been haunting his nightmares ever since he went to Lex. Cody knew far too well the state Tim had to be in, having been there himself.

Cody was just glad that he'd gotten his Sir to agree to help however they could. He'd done it just before Roy stole Tim back. If the snow hadn't been falling and Cody hadn't had a doctor's appointment they'd have been here all along. Cody had wanted to be here waiting when Tim first arrived. It hadn't happened but now they were almost there and Cody could help Tim the way he'd wished someone had helped him when he'd been rescued.

"I'm glad that they finally got the roads plowed," Sir Andrew said. He chuckled at Cody's happiness. "The boys have to be impatient to get out of here."

"Maybe," Cody said thoughtfully. "Tim probably needed the time."

Sir Andrew nodded. His face went more serious. They parked next to the house and headed inside. Cody grinned and pointed out a series of snowmen that someone had made. He'd always wanted to do that but had never had the strength since he escaped from Lex. He'd have to hug Lian and Dick. They seemed the most likely ones to do it.

"You made it," Roy said once they entered the foyer. "How was the trip?"

"Cold!" Cody shuddered. "And snowy. There is so much snow this year; I can't believe it!"

Cody chattered about the snow and the trip up, using the flow of words as a distraction so that he could study Roy. He looked tired but satisfied so some progress must have been made. Cody was relieved by that possibility. From what Dick had said Tim was very smart and very strong so he could have bounced back faster than Cody had but he could also have fought much longer to go back to Lex.

"Now Cody, let Roy get a word in edgewise," Sir Andrew laughed eventually. He wrapped his arms around Cody to hug him from behind.

"Sorry," Cody said as he leaned into the embrace. Roy's eyes went sad and tight so obviously Tim wasn't ready to be touched yet. Roy wouldn't look so wistful if he were touching Tim. "Can I talk to him?"

Roy hesitated while biting his lip. He looked back into the house towards the room that Cody had said Tim could use. After a moment he nodded but it was a very hesitant nod, as if he wasn't sure that it was a good idea. Cody noted that in the back of his mind. Tim really wasn't better yet then. Oh well, not much to do about that besides be there for him.

"He's not talking much," Roy said, "but you can try and talk to him. He's very nervous about people and… skittish."

"Of course," Cody nodded calmly. "Lex didn't like others touching his toys. Touch sensitivity is to be expected."

Roy blinked, looking from Cody's face to Sir Andrew's. Sir Andrew sighed as his arms tightened around Cody's waist. Cody looked up at him, nodding his permission.

"Cody was one of Lex's boys a couple of years ago," Sir Andrew said in his darkest tone of voice. His arms were as hard as rock around Cody's waist. "He barely survived."

"I know what he went through," Cody said to Roy whose eyes were wide as saucers. His lips had gone so thin that they nearly disappeared. "So can I see him? I'd like to talk to him. It will help him to have someone who understands what it's like."

"Please!" Roy nodded approval. "He hasn't been willing to talk about any of it. I'm worried about him. He's normally not this silent."

"Thank you," Cody said.

He patted his Sir's arms who let Cody go. Cody headed into the house, giggling as Lian ran over and hugged him hard enough to nearly knock him off of his feet. She giggled too but she looked a little teary, like she was right on the verge of crying but was trying not to so she wouldn't upset anyone. Cody gave her an extra kiss to try and reassure her. He waved at Jason and grinned at Dick as he passed them.

They'd installed a one-way mirror in Tim's room so Cody stopped and looked at Tim for a minute before going in. He was sitting far too still on the bed with a book in his hand. Cody was sure that Tim wasn't reading it. His eyes were far too blank. Cody nodded and entered the room, kneeling on the floor close to Tim but out of touching range. It took a minute and a half for Tim to realize he was there. He started badly once he came out of the flashback before staring at Cody with his pulse throbbing at his throat.

"Hi, I'm Cody," Cody said. "I used to belong to Lex before Sir Andrew saved me. Are the flashbacks really bad?"

"Wh-what?" Tim whispered.

He'd gone very pale and his fingers trembled on the book. It was upside down so obviously he hadn't been reading it at all. It was just to make the others think that he was okay. Cody understood. He'd done similar things though in his case it was cleaning things obsessively. Books must have been Tim's refuge before Lex took him.

"The flashbacks," Cody repeated. "I still get them sometimes. Are they very bad right now?"

"You really?" Tim gestured aimlessly with one shaking hand. He saw the tremor and immediately clenched that hand into a fist. He tucked it into his side and looked away.

Cody smiled at him and settled more comfortably on his knees. He nodded. After a moment Tim turned back to him. He swallowed hard and then slid off of the bed and knelt too. He looked far more comfortable once he'd done so. Cody was still more comfortable on the floor than furniture. Lex had broken him to the cushion very well. Hopefully Tim would be able to go back to furniture again someday. He was still shaking but there was a hint of desperate hope in his eyes as he looked at Cody.

"Yes," Cody nodded. "I was Lex's for three months. I wasn't as strong as you or maybe he didn't value me as much. He almost killed me several times before he got tired of me. I just barely survived being thrown in a dumpster after a really bad play session. He decided I wasn't worth collaring, you see, so he just… broke me and threw me away. Sir Andrew was watching and he rescued me, patched me up, and helped me heal. It's been two and a half years since I was rescued."

"Does it get better?" Tim whispered. His eyes looked tortured but he kept his face calm and impassive the way Lex liked.

"Yes." Cody smiled at Tim. "It's not easy but it does. Would you like to hear what happened to me? I kind of like telling people about it now. It makes it… less… I don't know, less powerful. It's the past. Telling it makes it the past, not the present."

"It's not the past for me," Tim murmured. He shut his eyes against a wash of memory.

"I know. It will be someday, I promise."

Tim shuddered like something slimy had crawled over the back of his neck. He bowed his head, breathing hard against another flashback. The heavy breathing was about the only sign he gave of his flashbacks. Cody watched, quietly amazed at how strong he was. His flashbacks were usually accompanied by panic attacks that left him sobbing or screaming. After a minute or two Tim gulped and looked around wildly. He relaxed a little to find Cody there watching and waiting.

"Please."

"Thank you," Cody beamed at him. "It started pretty simply, actually. I took a modeling job for a less than reputable agency and they sent me to a Blackway Club event. I was supposed to be a living statue. They dressed me up like a little prince and all I had to do was stand still while they touched and talked about me…"

Cody talked, telling Tim all about how he'd come to be Lex's. Tim listened with wide eyes. The tension and fear slowly drained out of him as he realized that he wasn't alone. He wasn't the only one that Lex had hurt. Cody inwardly squirmed a little with delight. He would have gotten better so much quicker if there had been someone else who understood. Hopefully he'd be able to help Tim get strong again before Lex attacked. They both knew Lex wouldn't give up, even if neither of them said anything about it.

+++++

It felt like learning secrets that no one else knew. Tim listened as Cody spilled out his life with Lex, taking about the things that Lex had done to him. He explained not only what Lex had done to him, but also why it was wrong.

"But…"

"Yes?" Cody asked. He cocked his head to the side, setting his long blond bangs swinging across his forehead.

"I thought… that was how it worked," Tim admitted after a moment.

"Of course not," Cody sighed in dismay. "You always get to say no, I don't want to do that. You get to say stop. Slow down. Not that, let's do this instead. It's a relationship, just like any other relationship. You talk about it and come to an agreement on what you'll do together. If he doesn't respect your boundaries and just takes what he wants without regard for your wishes then it's abuse and rape."

Tim shuddered, curling in on himself. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't. Lex hadn't abused him. He'd given Tim what he wanted. It had felt so good! How could something that felt that good be wrong? He hadn't willingly let himself be raped and abused. He hadn't!

Tim felt himself start panting as memories of the things Lex had done to him overwhelmed him. The feel of Lex's fingers in his mouth, forcing him to eat the food Lex offered, made him gag. He felt Lex's hands as he stripped Tim in the office in front of Mercy. His whole body ached with the ghost memory of Lex striking him when he'd failed, hitting him over and over and over. He bit his lip to keep from sobbing or crying out as the memories slammed through him.

"It's okay," Cody's voice drifted to him from a million miles away. "You can make noise. You don't have to be quiet."

The permission in Cody's distant voice destroyed Tim's efforts at self-control. He sobbed, curling into a ball around his knees. He felt Cody's arms wrapped around him and leaned into his side. The memories and pain and loss turned into pure emotional chaos washing through and out of him. It felt like being sucked under a black wave, like being dragged to the bottom of the ocean. He wasn't sure he'd ever get out from under the wave but Cody's arms were there, holding him like anchors against the storm.

Finally the storm of chaotic emotions peaked and began to subside. It felt like it took forever. Eventually the dark ocean that had crushed him ebbed away, leaving Tim in Cody's arms. They were still sitting on the carpet with their backs against Tim's bed. He wasn't sure that he could move. He was so exhausted that he thought he'd fall asleep if given the slightest chance. He blinked as he smelled blood and looked down to see who was hurt. He hoped that he hadn't hurt Cody. He didn't deserve it.

"Ow," Tim breathed. He'd locked his fingers around his knees so tightly that he'd gouged his skin, making himself bleed.

"Better?" Cody asked. "Other than the scratches, anyway."

"Tired," Tim sighed.

He set his head on Cody's shoulder. He hadn't allowed anyone to touch him since he'd been taken. It felt nice to touch again. Cody nodded. His chin brushed against Tim's hair. He rubbed Tim's arm gently, letting Tim take as long as he wanted before moving away. Tim didn't move for a good ten minutes. It was only the sting of the scratches on his legs and the way the blood was gluing his pants to his shins that made him move in the end.

"I should treat these," Tim said as he eased out of Cody's arms.

"Okay," Cody said brightly. "I'll go get the first aid kit. Or you can come along, if you want to? Do you leave the bedroom? I stayed inside for months before I was willing to go outside."

"N-no, I eat with everyone else," Tim said. He tiredly pushed away the sense-memory of Lex's fingers in his mouth.

"Really?" Cody said with awe in his eyes. "Wow! That took me forever after Lex's food control thing. I still hoard food. Sir lets me. He knows it makes me feel better to have a stash or three of food around the house."

Tim blinked, smiling shyly at Cody's delight. "I… can see doing that. I haven't. I've been more worried about Lex attacking so I've been working on that. Security. I… I need to make sure everyone is all right."

Tim stood and offered Cody a hand up. Cody took it and stood. He actually steadied himself on Tim's hand for a second to get his balance. Cody shrugged at Tim's curious look. He patted his hip and made a wry face.

"My hip's kind of messed up," Cody admitted. "We're looking at hip replacement surgery to make it better."

"How old are you?" Tim asked. "That's…" He didn't say that it was for old people but Cody still rolled his eyes and blew a raspberry at Tim.

"I'm nineteen," Cody shrugged. "Its just part of what Lex did to me. There are always consequences, Tim. That's just part of life. Come on. Let's get your scratches cleaned up and then maybe we can get some food and I can introduce you to my Sir. And I need to get hugs from Dick! He's wonderful, you know. Jason's a little scary. I don't like his style of play anymore but maybe you'll be different. Pain's just not my thing, I'm afraid."

Cody kept his grip on Tim's hand, leading him out into the rest of the house while chattering a mile a minute. Tim smiled. He suspected that Cody's chatter was a reaction to what Lex had done to him. Cody talked so much because of the way Lex liked to take his toy's voices away. Of course, Tim's new habit of whispering was a reaction to the same thing.

Tim sighed. He wanted to check the defenses they'd put in. After he was treated he'd go verify that everything was okay. Lex would come. Tim knew it. For the first time Tim thought that maybe he would fight to stay with Roy and the others when Lex's people came for him. Maybe the defenses could protect Tim, too, instead of just Roy, Jason, Dick and Lian.

Maybe he could be free after all.

+++++

"I think that we'll be safe enough," Roy offered as Tim checked their defenses for the fourth time today.

"You don't know that," Tim said without looking at Roy. His voice was just barely above a whisper. "He's coming. We have to be safe."

Roy sighed, wondering if he could find the right comforting words to help Tim let go of his fear and worry. He'd looked a lot better at lunch with Cody. He'd smiled and eaten without that strangely conflicted expression. Of course the way Cody kept snitching bits of food off of Andrew's plate might have had something to do with it. Roy made a mental note to ask Andrew if Lex had been overbearing about food. It would explain Tim's issues with eating.

"Between my stuff, Andrew and Cody's security system, Dick's allies along the way here, Jason's bombs and your traps I think we'll be okay," Roy said. He leaned against the doorframe, watching Tim.

"Bombs?" Tim asked. He turned to stare at Roy in shock.

"Yeah." Roy shook his head in dismay. "Jason said something about setting up some bombs around the perimeter and in strategic places around the property in case people tried to get in. He wouldn't tell either Dick or me where they were."

"Oh."

Tim blinked rapidly before he turned and looked out at the huge snowdrifts. After a second Tim nodded and went back to checking the monitors for trouble. Roy cocked his head and peered at Tim, wondering what he was thinking. The back of Tim's neck went red. Roy could just see the corner of Tim's mouth. He was smiling shyly which Roy found encouraging.

"Good oh? Bad oh? Shocked beyond words that Jason is a violent thug with too much time on his hands?" Roy asked.

Tim started snickering. He glanced at Roy from the corner of his eyes with a smirk that was so much like the old Tim that it made Roy's heart clench with joy. Every glimpse of the old Tim did that. He couldn't help but hope that Tim would be okay, that he'd come back to Roy eventually.

"A little of the first and the last," Tim said almost too quietly to be heard. "Jason always surprises me with the things he does."

"Certainly surprises me when he's with Dick," Roy said absently. "The violence doesn't surprise me at all. The tenderness, oh yeah, that surprises me."

Tim stopped and looked straight at Roy. A question hovered on his face though he didn't seem willing to ask it. Roy looked at him, wondering if Tim was worried that Roy hadn't been faithful to him or something else. Roy had, of course, but Tim didn't know that. When Roy gave his heart it was forever. He couldn't tell what Tim was thinking though. His face was too impassive for Roy to be sure.

"Jason and Dick are… involved?" Tim asked eventually.

"Sort of," Roy said thoughtfully. "They do play together, you know, domination and submission things, but Dick has other lovers including Andrew and I know Jason does too. Neither of them is exclusive. They seem to, well, give each other what they need from time to time."

Tim walked away from the monitors to stand just barely outside of touching range. He studied Roy's face with as serious an expression as Roy had ever seen before. Roy waited, not reaching out as he so desperately wanted to. Tim had to make the first move. He wasn't going to force himself on Tim after everything he'd been through. There had to be some sign from Tim that he wanted Roy before Roy would make a move.

"Will you give me what I need?" Tim asked.

"Within limits, yes," Roy said. His cock reacted so strongly that he felt a little lightheaded from the rush of blood southwards.

"And if, if, D-Dick or Jason had what I needed?" Tim asked nervously.

"Whatever you need, Tim," Roy said gently despite the way his heart pounded. "We all love you and will do what you want. There are things I can't do that Jason can and will. There are things Dick could do that I couldn't. However we have to swing things, we'll do it to make sure you're happy."

Tim nodded thoughtfully while chewing his bottom lip. He looked out at the snow and then over at the security monitors. Roy watched him and waited. He wished that Tim would talk again. Tim used to be so willing to share his thoughts in all their complicated glory. It felt strange to be on the outside of his thought processes.

"After Lex attacks we'll talk about it," Tim said. He just barely blushed at Ray's scrutiny. There was a shy, sweet smile on his lips. "It shouldn't be too long. Lex is too smart not to have figured this out. We need to send Cody and Andrew away again. I don't want them or Lian here for the battles."

"You think it'll be soon?" Roy asked as Tim strode back into the house in search of the others.

"Less than three hours, more than likely," Tim said over his shoulder. His eyes were full of distant calculation. "Lex and Mercy are too good not to have figured it out. They will have gotten it at the very least when Andrew and Cody came here. We don't have much time left."

He turned and walked away, moving like a warrior going to battle. Roy nodded, accepting his words as truth. Tim knew Lex and Mercy better than anyone else here. He was probably quite right. Roy followed Tim. He found himself listening for the sound of engines and scanning the windows for people sneaking through the snow. They had gotten away with this for too long. It couldn't last.


	9. Collateral Damage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The attack that everyone has been waiting for finally happens. Tim does his best but Dick and Roy don't let him do as much as he thinks he should, resulting in anger, injuries and angst.

The first sign of the attack came when one of Jason's bombs went off way out in the woods. Tim had been trying to convince Andrew and Cody to take Lian and leave with little success. Lian had instantly glued herself to Tim by hugging him so tightly that his ribs ached. Cody had started crying. Andrew had just stood there looking grave and serious. No one heeded to his very well reasoned arguments about why they needed to go, not even Roy. It was massively frustrating until the explosion went off.

"What was that?" Cody gasped.

"It's too late." Tim whimpered as he clutched Lian's shoulders. "It's begun. They're coming for me."

"Panic room," Andrew declared. "Cody, Lian and I will go to the panic room. We'll be safe there. The rest of you can fight."

"No!" Lian squawked. "I want to fight for Tim too!"

Tim couldn't find anything to say that could make it past the lump in his throat. Lian looked far too determined to stay. The fact that she'd risk being hurt or killed for him made him want to cry. The fear that she _would_ be hurt or killed made him feel like he was going to throw up. Tim cast a desperate look at Roy who sighed. Roy stepped to Tim's side, pulling Lian off of him.

"You're going to the panic room. You have to protect Cody and Andrew," Roy said. "No arguments, young lady. If you're there protecting them then we can focus on protecting Tim."

"Daddy…" Lian whined.

She looked up at Tim as if he'd back her up. There was another explosion, this time from the other side of the property. Roy gave Lian's arm a little shake and then patted her bottom. She swallowed hard and then nodded. She grabbed Cody's hand, leading him away.

"Come on," Lian said. "I'll make sure you guys are safe, I promise!"

Cody looked like he was torn between being amused and horrified that a little girl was supposed to protect him against Lex's forces but he went without protest. Andrew nodded to Roy that he'd keep both of them safe. They ran down into the basement to the panic room. Tim hadn't even realized that it was there but he'd been pretty out of it so it wasn't that much of a surprise. Dick appeared from another room, talking on his cell phone.

"Yeah, they're here," Dick said. "Two explosions so far. Do what you can to get the police in on this. We'll hold them off as long as we can. We have civilians here so we might have to run to distract the attackers from them. Yes, we'll be careful. You too. Good luck getting him!"

Jason came in wearing a huge grin and his mask. Dick turned off his phone and started pulling off his clothes to reveal his suit. Tim shivered as Dick put on his mask. Dick tossed body armor at Tim, giving him a concerned look. He nodded to the others that he'd be okay as he reluctantly put on the body armor. It felt wrong to wear armor instead of his suit but of course his suit was still with Lex. He'd left it there, not that he thought he would ever be able to wear it again. It was tainted by Lex's interactions with him. He was going to have to design a whole new suit after this was all over. By the time he was done Roy was in his suit as well. He appeared to have redesigned it with a million pockets and pouches since the last time Tim had seen it.

"We've got helicopters inbound and snowmobiles coming in from four directions," Dick said. "The bombs Jason put out there are slowing the snowmobiles down but the helicopters will be here any minute."

"We can't run away from them," Jason declared.

"You can stay and fight all you want," Dick snapped at him. "If it gets too dangerous we need to run to protect the others."

"Agreed," Roy said. "We're the real targets, not Andrew, Cody or Lian. I doubt that Lex would bother with them, other than as collateral damage. He wouldn't risk killing them right now."

"He'll take them hostage," Tim disagreed. They all turned and looked at him despite how quietly he'd spoken. "He'll use them against us. We need to make them think that they ran for it, distract them as best we can to give us more time."

"I can do that," Jason volunteered. "Let me take their car, put some blankets over pillows like they're huddled in the back seat. They'll think that Andrew's trying to drive out."

"Go," Roy ordered.

Jason ran off to do it. Tim watched him go. He had to literally bite his tongue to keep from calling Jason back. It was dangerous. He needed to keep them safe from Lex. He needed to make sure that Lex didn't hurt them. It was his fault that Lex was coming, not theirs. He should be the one taking the risks, not them. Terror for what could happen to Jason on his mission made Tim's head swim and his pulse pound in his ears.

Tim's mini panic attack was strong enough that he missed Roy and Dick making plans. He could hear them talking, quickly plotting something, but none of the noises they made were comprehensible. By the time he came back he could hear snowmobiles and helicopters coming in. Roy ran to the monitor room with Tim and Dick following him. He triggered the defense systems that Andrew had installed as well as the traps that Tim had added.

"There goes Jason," Roy said.

Jason revved the SUV and tore down the driveway. The tires sprayed snow and slush into the air. He disappeared between the snowdrifts almost immediately. Tim reached out towards the monitor involuntarily as if he could pull Jason back and keep him safe. Dick's hand gently brushed Tim's shoulder to reassure him that it would be all right. Tim started badly and then blushed that he'd reacted so poorly to the contact.

"Let's get to our posts," Roy said.

His face had a hard, tight look as he opened the weapons locker in the corner of the control room. They took shotguns with rubber bullets and stun grenades. Tim made sure not to load himself down with too much. He didn't want to be slowed down when it came time to fight hand to hand. It would happen. He knew it would. Roy took more, much more. He tucked stun grenades into his pockets and slung guns and belts of ammo on his back. He added knives to his boots. Dick chose about half what Roy did, preserving his ability to move quickly.

"Will you be all right?" Dick asked very quietly. "Do you think you can do this?"

"Yes," Tim said.

He nodded as firmly as he could. He would be all right. He wouldn't allow himself to be anything but all right. He had to protect the others. Roy took a spot on the second floor that let him pick off anyone that came at them from the back yard and the woods beyond. Dick and Tim took the main hallway that stretched from the front of the house to the back. Dick took the front door. Tim took the back door. When Tim turned his head he could see Dick's back. He tried not to look too much.

Dick hid behind a big, heavy dresser that stood close to the front door. It made a great barrier for him. Tim nodded thoughtfully and wrestled a bookshelf at the back so that it would do the same thing for him. There wasn't much cover available other than that. It would have to do. His hands were sweaty on the stock of his gun. He wished for his suit's gloves. At least they gave him a good grip no matter how sweaty his palms were.

The engines got closer, occasionally punctuated by explosions from Jason's bombs. Tim had to battle down panic again when the roar of the helicopters settled in directly over their heads. Mercy was coming. Mercy, who he hadn't been able to defeat. Mercy who had pushed him harder and more mercilessly than anyone he'd ever trained with before. Dick and Roy weren't ready for her. Tim wasn't ready for her either but that didn't matter.

"I won't give in," Tim whispered. "I won't give in. I have to protect them. I won't give in."

Roy started firing upstairs, picking attackers off before they could get close to the house. Tim could hear his feet as he pounded back and forth between windows. Jason should have stayed. He would have been able to back Roy up. Roy wouldn't have been alone upstairs. He wouldn't have had to cover both sides of the house by himself.

Tim screamed when the back door blew in but he didn't let a panic attack overwhelm him. He started firing before the debris fell, picking off the shadowy shapes of the people coming through the smoke. He could hear Roy's continued firing upstairs. A second explosion marked the front door being blown in. Tim fired until they stopped coming through the gaping hole that had been the back door, panting and shaking as soon as the assault stopped.

"Come on!" Dick called to Tim. "We need to fall back."

"Where?" Tim gasped.

"We've got a plan," Dick shouted. He ran over and grabbed Tim's arm. "Come on!"

Tim let Dick haul him to his feet and followed him into the study on the side of the house. They huddled beside a heavy set of bookcases. Roy nearly got himself shot when he hurried into the room, gun at the ready. Roy nodded at Dick who stood. Dick scanned the bookshelf before pulling a particular book halfway out. The bookcase Tim was leaning against shifted, sending him backwards onto his back. Tim rolled and stared at the secret passageway that Dick had revealed. It extended about half the length of the main hallway before going down some stairs. Strip lights on the floor lit it. Tim hadn't had any idea that it was there.

"Let's go," Dick said as he pulled Tim to his feet. "We need to lead them away."

"The others?" Tim gasped, looking at Roy.

"They'll be fine," Roy told him. "The panic room is three stories under the ground and armored. Andrew is kind of nuts about keeping Cody safe. Lex's people would have to spend days to get in there now that it's locked down. They have an independent air and water supplies, as well as a huge supply of food."

Tim bit his lip as he followed Dick. If they had a secret hallway like this then the panic room probably would be just as impressive. He looked back to make sure that Roy following them and stopped dead in his tracks. The secret door had shut with Roy on the other side.

"Roy!" Tim called, panicked.

"Tim, let him protect you," Dick said. He caught Tim's arm to try to pull him away. "The sooner we're away from here the safer Roy will be."

"No, they'll kill him!" Tim cried. He tried to jerk his arm free from Dick's grip but Dick didn't let go. "Dick, Lex loathes Roy! Mercy will kill him. You can't let him stay here!"

Tim used one of Mercy's tricks to break Dick's grip. He turned back to the secret door only to have something hard crash into the back of his head. Tim fell to the floor with darkness blotting out his sight. The last thing he heard was Dick's voice.

"I'm sorry, Tim," Dick moaned. "I'm so sorry!"

+++++

Roy breathed a sigh of relief as the door to the secret passage closed. He trusted Dick to keep Tim safe. Nobody could do a better job than the Bat family at protecting one of their own. Between Jason, Dick and Bruce, Tim would be safe, even from himself. He'd been worried about Tim's determination to keep everyone else safe. He had lost weight, lost muscle, and most importantly lost his nerve. He wasn't ready for this battle but there was no way that Roy would deny him the chance to try.

"At least now he can be the decoy to lead everyone away," Roy said as he reloaded and then trapped the door with a stun grenade. He checked his earplugs and settled in to wait for the inevitable attack. "That's all we need, a little more time."

Lex might think that he would win this battle but Roy knew better. Andrew had conscripted every single person within twenty miles of the house to watch for attackers. Lex couldn't black out communications for that many people.

The local and federal police had been informed of the potential for attack once they'd gotten to the house. Bruce and Clark were poised and waiting to take Lex down in Metropolis the instant he acted against Roy. They didn't know where Roy was hiding in case Lex had them bugged but Andrew's friends in the area knew who to call right after they called the police.

Lex's troops thought that they had trapped Roy and Tim. In fact Roy had lured them into a gigantic trap.

The door to the study blew open. Roy fired into the gap and smiled grimly at the grunts of pain that came from the falling bodies. It didn't take long before he was out of bullets but the doorway was piled with moaning men. He counted that as a win for his side until Mercy Graves stepped calmly over them, her icy eyes sweeping the room to rest on Roy.

"I should have known that this was your attempt to decoy me," Mercy said. She moved like an assassin as she stalked across the room.

"Of course," Roy said. "Tim's already gone. You're trapped, you know. This was a huge setup."

"Really?" Mercy smirked at him, apparently amused by the concept.

"Oh yes," Roy said. He knew his smile was grimly satisfied. "By now Superman and the Justice League should be arresting Lex. We've had monitors on him ever since you took Tim. We know that you were planning on killing Andrew and Cody. He's not going to be arrested for attempting to kidnap Tim. He's going to be arrested for soliciting murder. You're going to be arrested for attempted murder. There are several employees that won't be working at LuthorCorp anymore. Bruce has given them new jobs with much better paychecks and much more security."

Mercy's head reared back and her eyes went wide. She tapped her ear bud with her head cocked to the side. She tapped a second time. When no on answered she snarled at him. All pretense of her being nothing more than a bodyguard dropped away. She looked every bit as deadly as the Joker or any of Roy's enemies.

"You won't survive to see it," Mercy snapped. She pulled a pair of long knives out.

"We'll see," Roy said. He grinned at her as the blood started pumping through his veins. "The longer I keep you busy the better off the others will be. I might even get lucky and hold you here long enough that you'll be arrested today. Let's see what you've got. I could use a proper fight after all the crap you and Lex put us through."

Mercy's eyes went narrow again as she launched herself at Roy. She was fast and deadly and she moved like her bones were made of rubber. Roy recognized some of her moves in the moves Tim had used when he'd struggled against them. She wasn't as tall as Roy was or as strong but she was faster. They battled across the room and back again while outside the security system and Tim's traps continued to thin her forces. Roy had no idea how long it was before sirens filled the air but it couldn't have been terribly long. He only had three cuts on his arms, one on his face and a shallow slash on his side where Mercy's knife had found a gap in his armor.

"Roy!" Jason bellowed from the front door.

Mercy turned to run but Roy moved with her to keep her from escaping. He was determined to ensure that Mercy didn't get away. She was more of a danger to Andrew and Cody as Lex was. He got two more cuts, including one on his thigh that bled like a mother. Mercy broke free as Roy fell and darted for the door only to collide with Jason's fist. Jason hit her a second and then a third time, knocking her out and down to the ground in a graceless heap.

"Need some help?" Jason asked. He was grinning as if he was spoiling for a fight even though the fight seemed to be over.

"A bandage would be nice," Roy laughed a little shakily. "And then some help getting this mess cleaned up."

"Tim?" Jason asked as he came over to help.

"Dick has him," Roy said. "They're gone. We'll catch up after we make sure Andrew, Cody and Lian are safe."

"Good. Baby bird needs us."

"That he does. He's going to be pissed though," Roy sighed.

+++++

"I'm sorry, Tim," Dick said as he knocked Tim out. "I'm so sorry."

Tim fell to the floor without responding. Dick bit his lip and then slung Tim over his shoulder. Their plans were good ones. This wasn't what he'd wanted to do but if knocking Tim out was what had to happen then he'd do it. He couldn't let Tim go back to Lex, no matter what.

Dick ran down the stairs, making sure that Tim's head didn't hit anything, along the hallway and then up the next set of stairs that led to Andrew's secret garage. He wasn't surprised that Andrew had built all sorts of secret passages and hidden rooms into Cody's house. Cody loved the romance and mystery of them and Andrew was as obsessed with keeping Cody safe as Bruce was with being the Bat.

The snowmobiles were ready and waiting. Dick sat Tim on one snowmobile and then started the engine. He was out the door and away before the garage door was all the way up. Tim's arms were loosely draped around Dick's waist and he leaned against Dick's back. It wasn't terribly secure but it would do until Tim woke. He hoped that Tim would wake soon. Dick wasn't sure he could steer and keep Tim on the snowmobile at the same time.

Dick shot past the troops attacking the house, heading straight down the road towards the main street. He knew the police were coming up the main drive. They were going down the back driveway but the two driveways met at the base of the hill. He'd be headed straight to safety if they escaped Lex's troops. Lex's minions shouted and fired on them. Tim groaned and his arms tightened around Dick's waist.

"Hang on!" Dick snapped. "We're leading them straight to the police, Tim. The sooner we get there the sooner they'll all be arrested."

"You hit me," Tim hissed in Dick's ear. His arms tightened painfully around Dick's waist.

"I couldn't let you mess up the plan," Dick protested. Tim had been there while they discussed it. He'd thought that it was just panic that had made him go back for Roy.

Tim grumbled but hung on. It took several minutes of wild maneuvering down the long steep driveway and its heavy snow to get to the police cars stationed at the bottom. The police shouted when they zoomed into view followed closely by a small pack of Lex's minions on snowmobiles. The minions tried to make a break for it but the police opened fire, killing two of them and destroying three of the snowmobiles.

"What's the story?" Tim asked as Dick pulled up to the police cars.

"You were visiting with Andrew and Cody, people came to attack them and we showed up because it's Mercy and Lex. League business," Dick muttered before shutting off the snowmobile.

Tim nodded and did a brilliant job playing his part. He babbled about people attacking his friends up at the mansion, describing Mercy clearly enough that the police instantly knew who she was. Dick was grateful he had his Nightwing costume on and the mask over his face. Tim seemed perfectly normal, if a little more rattled that Tim would regularly be. It made him look normal which nearly made Dick cry. He hadn't seen Tim look this normal since he'd first been taken by Lex. By the time Tim was done, the police were convinced that the attack was against Andrew and Cody, not Tim.

Dick then explained that this was part of a raid against Lex Luthor that was also going on in Metropolis and Gotham. The police radioed that in and quickly got confirmation that the League was up to something major against Lex Luthor. The remaining police went in hot, leaving Dick and Tim by the back up cars.

"I need to get Mr. Drake to safety," Dick said, putting a hand on Tim's shoulder to keep him from forging back in. "Can one of your people drive him home? It's a long trip, all the way back to Gotham, but I'm needed here."

"Of course," the policeman stationed with them said. He smiled a little sheepishly at Tim's wordless squawk of protest. "We'll let you know what happens, sir. If we could have your father's contact number we'll see if he can come and meet you halfway."

"That would be perfect," Dick said, overriding Tim's spluttered objections.

Tim was vibrating with outrage as the policeman stepped away to get one of the others to drive him back. He glared at Dick like he wanted to gut him. Dick couldn't blame him. He'd have been just as outraged if they'd tried this on him but it was for a good cause. Tim must not have been listening at all when Roy and Dick planned this. He hated the thought that Tim might have been that far gone and Dick hadn't noticed it.

"I'll be following and watching for any other people hunting you," Dick murmured to Tim quietly enough that the police couldn't hear. "You're the lure to get as many of Lex's people as we can. You have to do this or Lex will continue to be a threat to all of us, Tim."

"I hate you so much right now," Tim hissed at Dick. "I should be fighting!"

"You're doing something more important that _none_ of the rest of us can do," Dick told him. "You're exposing him. Every single person you lure out is one less person to attack us later. Lex put a hit out on Andrew and Cody, Tim. Everyone we stop now is one less to attack them later."

Tim growled but when the police came back and asked him to go with one of the older, heavier cops he agreed. He pouted but he did it. Dick sighed with relief. It didn't take much for Dick to slip away after that. Roy and Jason joined him and they followed Tim's journey back to Gotham from a distance.

There were four separate attacks on Tim. They managed to stop all four of them before Tim saw any sign of them. Jason and Dick took the brunt of it given Roy's injuries. By the time they made it back to the manor Dick was exhausted but it was all worth it. They'd managed to wipe out the vast majority of Lex's special troops. Lian would be back tomorrow with Andrew and Cody.

Most importantly, Tim was home.

+++++

"Welcome home, Master Tim," Alfred said as Tim got out of the police car.

"Thank you Alfred," Tim said.

He was relieved to be there. He was horrified to be there. It felt so strange to be back at Wayne Manor. He hadn't thought that he'd ever see it again. He'd spent most of the long boring drive worrying about the others punctuated with moments of anxiety about being back home. At least he didn't have to listen to the cop's kind-hearted attempts to calm Tim down by telling him stories of his grandkids anymore.

"His dad home?" the cop asked.

"I am afraid that he's been delayed by traffic," Alfred said in that perfectly proper way he had when he was lying. "Master Bruce will be back shortly however. Did you require anything?"

"No, just needed to make sure that he got home safe," the cop said.

He patted Tim's shoulder like he had the perfect right to touch. Tim shrugged the man's hand off and moved to stand with Alfred. Alfred's eyes were a little tight but he smiled reassuringly at the cop. The cop didn't appear to notice the tightness and he completely ignored Tim's discomfort with him. Tim wasn't sure if he was truly that oblivious or if he'd decided that it was just nerves after the 'terrible attack' he'd 'suffered' through.

"I assure you that he is safe here," Alfred said. "This is his home."

"Good point," the cop said, chuckling. "All right then. You be safe from now on, kiddo."

"Yes sir," Tim said. He did his best not to pout but it obviously didn't work from the grin on the cop's face. "Thank you sir."

"You're welcome," the cop said cheerfully.

He got back in his car and drove away. Tim sighed with relief as he headed inside. Alfred followed as Tim hurried down to the Batcave to see what was really going on. The monitors were up. They showed Metropolis, several LuthorCorp locations in Gotham and new reports on the major crackdown on Lex Luthor's activities.

"I have been tracking the action, Master Tim," Alfred said. "It appears to have gone very well. Mr. Luthor has been arrested and is being held without bail. Five of his six lawyers have been arrested as well. Mercy Graves is in maximum security and the majority of his forces have been thrown in prison."

"But how are Roy, Jason and Lian?" Tim demanded. He was mad enough at Dick that he hoped that he'd been injured at some point though apparently the whole 'decoy' thing was just a ploy to get Tim out of the way. Tim hadn't seen any signs of attack the entire trip.

"Master Jason appears to be unharmed," Alfred said. He leaned over Tim's shoulder to type on the keyboard. He didn't comment on Tim's start when his brushed against Tim's shoulder. He pulled up images captured from several news and police forces. "Master Roy has several cuts from battling Mercy but he appears to be well. Master Dick is unharmed as well. Miss Lian is safe with Masters Andrew and Cody. I believe they're having pizza pie for dinner."

Tim swallowed as he stared at the image of Roy covered in blood. He was up and away from the monitor before he consciously decided to move. Terror and panic clawed at his heart. Roy had been hurt. He'd been hurt because of Tim. He'd let Roy be hurt!

Tim moved away from Alfred, just barely aware of him saying something in a worried tone of voice. Tim shook his head hard, refusing to stop moving. If he stopped moving he'd lose it entirely. He wasn't going to lose it. Tim panted, pacing through the cave from the showers back to the monitors and back again until the panic subsided. Roy's picture was still on the monitors but Tim was tired enough that the panic didn't return.

"It's not that bad, is it?" Tim asked Alfred.

"No Master Tim, it isn't," Alfred said. His expression was sympathetic but not pitying. It was a huge relief for Tim not to see pity in Alfred's eyes after the pity he'd seen in the other's eyes. "The worst cut was on his thigh and that required eighteen stitches. The others did not need stitches."

Tim collapsed into the chair, watching and listening to the various reports. He was still there when Bruce and Clark came back home. He was still there when Jason and Roy arrived. He was still there when Dick arrived last of all. Dick was limping though not as badly as Roy was.

"You coming upstairs?" Roy asked. He was limping a little bit as he came over to carefully not touch Tim.

"In a minute," Tim said without removing his eyes from the monitors. "I'll be up soon."

Roy frowned but he headed upstairs with Jason. Bruce and Clark had headed upstairs almost immediately to deal with reporters that had arrived to question them about Tim's connection to the attack. Dick hesitated for a moment, freezing when Tim turned to look at him. Tim waited until everyone had taken the lift upstairs before he stood. Dick looked like he wanted to run away but he squared his shoulders instead.

"I am so mad at you," Tim said as he glared up into Dick's eyes. "I should have been the one to fight Mercy, not Roy. I know her fighting style. I could have protected him."

"I'm sorry," Dick said with his heart in his eyes. "Roy specifically told us not to let you fight her directly. We were all afraid that you'd let her take you back to Lex."

Tim winced. He'd been planning on it until he talked to Cody. Cody had been the one to change his mind. He sighed, shaking his head no. It didn't matter why they did it. They should have had a little more faith in him, though obviously that was something that he was going to have to earn back.

"I'm not surprised by that," Tim said. "But I'm still mad at you. I'm mad at Roy too, but not as much. It's not a surprise that he tried to protect me by keeping me in the dark. Jason never has told me anything so I'm not that upset with him. But you, you used to trust me and listen to me. If you'd told me what the plan was I wouldn't have been as upset. I could have come up with ways to improve it. You should have told me."

Dick opened his mouth while wincing so badly that he looked like Tim had hit him in the gut. His shoulders drooped as he looked away, out in the darkness where the bats squeaked and fluttered. His eyes were shining with unshed tears when he looked back at Tim.

"I'm sorry," Dick whispered. "I'm so sorry, Tim."

Tim nodded. He headed for the lift without saying anything further. He couldn't accept the apology yet. He was too angry. If he said anything else he'd start shouting and no matter how angry he was Dick didn't deserve it. Tim looked back at Dick as the lift door slid shut.

Dick was standing in the darkness of the cave with his head bowed. One hand was against his eyes as if he couldn't stand to look at anything.


	10. Release

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ason helps Dick let go of his guilt for not seeing how bad off Tim was in his own special way.

"Hey, you coming upstairs or what?" Jason called as the lift binged and let him out into the cave. "You've been down here for almost an hour and dinner's ready."

"No, I'm fine," Dick said. "You guys go ahead and eat."

His voice was thin and wan, a pale imitation of the obnoxious cheerfulness that Dick normally exuded. Jason frowned and stomped over to grab Dick's chin. Dick winced at the grip but didn't pull away. He was shaking. His eyes were red. He looked like he might be sick.

"The fuck?" Jason asked. He squeezed harder on Dick's chin to see what he'd do. "You take a body blow you didn't own up to?"

"Not exactly," Dick said. He shut his eyes and swallowed hard. He still didn't pull his chin out of Jason's hand.

"Tim."

Dick flinched. Jason would have thought he'd just touched a live wire to Dick's balls from the strength of the reaction. Tears shone in his eyes once he opened them. Jason's fingers tightened involuntarily on Dick's chin for a moment at the sorrow and pure pain he saw in Dick's expression.

"What'd Baby Bird do?" Jason demanded. He let go of Dick's chin, noting that the marks he'd left would probably turn into bruises by tomorrow. "Tell."

Dick nodded and took a deep breath to try and calm down before he spoke. "All the planning we did? Tim was so out of it he didn't hear it, Jason. He didn't realize that it was all a trap. He didn't hear me and Roy planning out the run towards the cops. He… he's been so lost in his own mind he didn't _know_ that Roy ordered us all to let him fight Mercy when she showed."

"Fucking hell," Jason groaned. He sat on the edge of the console, staring at Dick. "He was there! He nodded and agreed. Several times!"

"I know," Dick said. He got up and started pacing a tight little arc of five steps back and forth in front of Jason. "He did but he wasn't really there. He couldn't have been there, Jay. If he had he wouldn't have decided that I'm to blame for Roy getting hurt. He would have fought us."

"Damn but he's fucked in the head," Jason sighed. "You're freaking."

"No I'm not," Dick protested automatically despite the way he was shaking and the tears and the wild look and the fact that he hadn't said a fucking word when Jason bruised _his face._ "I'm upset but not that bad."

"Feel your chin," Jason ordered in his Dom voice.

Dick did and started at the pain from the blooming bruises. He flushed and held out his hands. Jason watched as he tried to still the shaking and failed. Dick hugged himself, standing in the gloom of the cave like he was condemned to stay here for eternity, like he was one of those assholes from the classical crap that Bruce used to make Jason read.

"We're going upstairs," Jason continued. "I'll make our apologies to everyone else. You will go to my room. Strip naked. Shower. Put on the leather cuffs. Kneel by the bed. Wait for me. Understood?"

"Marks?" Dick asked the way he always did. He was already stilling. He so fucking needed this. He might hate having visible bruises after their little encounters but it showed that he was desperate for it this time.

"You're getting marked up, Dickie-bird," Jason said. "I won't make it so you can't walk tomorrow but you need this bad. Come on."

Jason led the way to the lift and held the door for Dick. He was still in his costume but you wouldn't have known it from the way he acted. By the time they made it to the mansion Dick was already falling into his mind. His shivers were gone. His eyes were distant, if still sad. His hands didn't shake at all.

Jason caught him and gave him a bruising kiss, the sort that Dick normally protested and fought against. It was a good gauge of what Dick really needed. This time he melted into it, clinging to Jason's shirt like he was the only thing keeping him from drowning. Jason chuckled when he pulled away.

"Go," Jason ordered. "My bedroom. I'll be there soon."

"Yes sir," Dick panted.

He swayed a bit before letting go of Jason's shirt. Jason swatted his ass to get him going. Dick moaned instead of laughing or teasing. Yeah, it was going to be one of the heavy nights, not that Jason minded that at all.

He headed downstairs to the kitchen while Dick headed upstairs to the bedroom. Alfred was gathering up dinner for everyone when Jason came in. He raised an eyebrow at Jason's pants but only nodded. Jason plucked an olive out of the bowl Alfred was filling.

"I need a couple of trays for us," Jason said. "Dick's… freaked. He needs some downtime before he deals with Timmy again."

"Is there an issue, Master Jason?" Alfred asked. He pulled out Dick and Jason's plates and put them on a tray.

"I think Timmy's heading into the anger thing," Jason shrugged. "Dick's a sub. He's safe to get mad at. He's sure as hell not going to get mad at me or Bruce. Warn Clark that he's liable to go off at anything."

Alfred nodded, smacking Jason's hand so that he'd stop eating all the olives. Jason growled at him but Alfred just smiled that little smile of his. He put the covered tray into Jason's hands to keep him from taking the whole bowl.

"I shall warn them, Master Jason," Alfred said. "I included a separate bowl of olives just for you."

"Hey, thanks!" Jason grinned at him. He looked at the plates, counting them up. "Where's the demon spawn?"

"Master Damien is visiting his mother," Alfred said with just the right chill formality to remind Jason of how much he hated Jason's nickname for him. "He should be back in two or three days."

"Remind me to be gone before he comes back," Jason said. "See you later, Alfred."

"Good evening, Master Jason," Alfred said.

Jason headed upstairs again, taking his time. He stopped at the living room where everyone had gathered. The reporters were long gone, thank fucking God for that, so it was just family. Bruce looked up and raised an eyebrow at the tray in Jason's hands. Clark was cuddled at his side looking like he needed a good take down as badly as Dick did.

Tim was sitting with a book in his hands on the big leather armchair. Jason narrowed his eyes as he realized that Tim wasn't reading it. He wasn't even looking at it. He was staring at a spot just a few inches in front of his own nose so fixedly that he couldn't be seeing anything.

Dick was right. Their Baby Bird was stuck so far in his head he probably wasn't tracking half the fucking time. Roy was messing with the fire as if he had to have something to do or he'd collapse. It was pretty clear that he hadn't seen how gone Tim was. Of course, none of the rest of them had either.

"Dick and I are gonna miss dinner, guys," Jason said. Tim didn't move but everyone else looked up. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"Sleep well," Bruce said.

"Roy," Jason said, "tell Tim we won't be down when he comes out of it."

Roy's eyes snapped around to stare at Tim. He cursed under his breath but he nodded fairly calmly. Clark looked incredibly sad as he realized that Tim was gone. Bruce's lips practically disappeared as he studied Tim while petting Clark's hair.

Jason shrugged and left. What else could he say? Timmy was still fucked in the head. They had a hell of a lot of work to do to get him back where he should be, if he ever could get back to Bat-normal. He'd never been normal-normal that Jason could see.

Dick was naked and kneeling next to Jason's bed when he got upstairs. He'd deliberately gone to the far end of the manor and then come back so that Dick had more time to finish getting clean and calmed down. Jason set the tray of food down on the little elegant table that Alfred had insisted on repairing after Jason had thrown it through the window a while back. It was a hell of a lot sturdier now than it had been, which was good. It needed to be sturdy around Jason. Not many things were strong enough to deal with his messed up moods. They probably wouldn't eat until after it was all over and they'd slept for a bit but the food would be waiting.

Dick was fucking gorgeous.

He was kneeling in a pool of moonlight from the window that made his skin gleam like he'd been made of pearls or something precious. His body was mottled with a few bruises from the battles, but not too bad. They looked good on him. Jason liked seeing that perfect body marked, especially when he was the one that got to mark it.

The leather cuffs were soft enough that they wouldn't mark Dick's wrists at all. Jason had made them for Dick specifically because he didn't want the restraints to do the marking. Those leather bands were the only thing on his body. So far. Jason kind of doubted that they'd actually use the cuffs for their intended purpose but they always got Dick into the right headspace when he put them on.

"You look fucking good on your knees, Dickie-bird," Jason said. He smirked at the way Dick shivered. "Stand."

Dick bowed his forehead until it brushed the carpet and then stood. He didn't stand as smoothly as he should have so Jason came over and ran his hands over Dick's body to check for injuries. Dick submitted to it with a quiet moan that was pure arousal.

"Nasty bruise on your shoulder," Jason commented as he probed it and moved Dick's arm while watching his reactions. "Kick?"

"Yes sir," Dick breathed. He had another big bruise on his ribs but didn't flinch at all when Jason probed it. No broken bones there.

"Don't like the bruise on your knee," Jason commented once he got there. "We're wrapping that. I won't have it interfering with our play."

"As you wish, sir," Dick agreed.

Dick's cock was leaking by the time Jason had bandaged his knee for him. He stood better once it was done and held his hands properly behind his back without any strain so Jason didn't bother to bandage the other bruises. Others'd join them before he was done with Dick.

"Against the wall," Jason ordered.

He slapped his hand down hard on Dick's ass, leaving a brief red mark. Dick gasped and moved to the wall, spreading his hands against it and his legs so that Jason had full access to his body. Jason smiled. He loved it when Dick got this way. Didn't happen often enough for Jason's needs but when it did it was pure joy.

"I'm going to beat you," Jason told Dick as he ran a hand over his back. "Only on your back. Then I'm going to put you over my legs and spank that ass until it's glowing. I don't want to hear a peep out of you. You don't get to come until I give permission, understood?"

"Yes sir," Dick moaned. "No speaking or coming while you beat and spank me."

"No _sound_ at all," Jason clarified. "You can pant but no moans, no whining, no whimpers, no words, nothing."

Dick shuddered and let out a groan that sounded like he'd just been given the best thing ever. Jason grinned. He so needed this. He was normally noisy as hell once they got going which was why Jason liked taking his voice away. Forcing Dick to be quiet was like making Jason be polite: damned near impossible.

"Understood," Dick whispered. He licked his lips and nodded hard.

"Good," Jason purred into his ear. "Brace yourself."

Jason pulled off his clothes and made sure the door was locked before taking up his belt and slapping it against his hand. Dick started at the crack of noise but didn't make a sound. His breath shuddered in his chest as he tried to breathe slowly and deliberately but every swish-crack of the belt had Dick gasping and Jason hadn't even touched him yet.

The first blow hit on the right shoulder, leaving a beautiful little mark. The second was lower, away from the bruises on Dick's ribs. That mark was bigger. Jason carefully aimed and marked Dick, taking his time building a pattern over his back that looked almost like he'd been slammed into a rough brick wall. He kept it up until Dick was panting and his knees were shaking almost too much to hold him.

"God you're so fucking beautiful," Jason said.

He dropped the belt and ran his hands delicately over Dick's back, grinning at the way Dick shuddered and hissed. It wasn't quite a noise but it was damned close. Jason licked one of the marks that had bled before blowing on it. Dick's breath exploded out of his lungs like he'd just been punched. He still didn't make a noise.

"That's good," Jason murmured. He pressed up against Dick's abused back and reached around to squeeze his balls hard. "You always try and be so damned good, don't you? What does it get you? Hmm?"

Dick sobbed, thrusting into Jason's hand. Yeah, he needed it. Jason tugged hard on Dick's balls, using them as a leash to pull him over to the bed. Dick collapsed over his knees gracefully even when he was in this much pain. Jason put a hand on his neck and then ran his other hand down Dick's back.

"No counting," Jason reminded Dick. "I'm not stopping until I'm satisfied with the color of that ass. You take it, hear me? You fucked up with Timmy so you'll lie there and take it while I tan that hide of yours."

Dick nodded desperately. He was panting now and his cock felt like an iron bar against Jason's thigh. Of course Jason's cock was probably seriously painful where it was digging into the bruise on Dick's ribs so that wasn't too surprising.

"You do good enough at this and I'll fuck you," Jason promised. "I'll fuck you until you can't move and then I might let you come. Maybe."

Dick shuddered at the promise/threat and then gasped as Jason brought his hand down hard on his ass without any warning. It took a long fucking time for Dick's back to loosen up and his shoulders to go soft. Jason's arm was getting tired and Dick's ass was damned near literally glowing by that point. Every slap against his ass at first tightened him up and then, so suddenly Jason was almost surprised, Dick let go, sobbing.

"Finally," Jason murmured.

He gave Dick five more swats because he'd learned how much Dick needed that extra bit of punishment once he let go. He didn't want to have to go through this all over again in the morning. Jason pulled Dick up and into his lap. Dick wrapped his arms around Jason's neck, crying into his shoulder for a long time.

Jason let him, rubbing his hands up and down over Dick's bruised back. He could literally feel every mark as a welt and a hot spot under his fingertips. It was one of the hottest things ever and well worth putting up with Dick's normal cheerful optimism and bouncy nature to get to do this to him. He was never sexier than when he let go this way.

"Time to fuck this tender little ass," Jason murmured. He slid his hands down and started fingering Dick's asshole. "You did good. You don't get to come yet but you did really good Dickie-bird."

Jason pushed Dick down on the bed, making sure that he landed on his back. The gasp of pain made Jason's cock jump. The way Dick had to bite back a moan and his little squirm of pleasure was almost more than Jason could stand.

He didn't bother with prep other than lubing his cock up. Dick didn't need it, not after getting this loose and ready. He bit his lip as Jason pushed his knees back towards his chest. Most of the time Jason loved fucking Dick doggie style after a beating like this so that he could see the marks he'd created but this wasn't for Jason. It was for Dick. He felt like he needed to be punished and for Dick that meant pain.

Besides, it was fucking hot watching Dick's mouth make a perfect 'O' as Jason shoved into him without warning.

"Yeah, that's my little slut," Jason growled. He started fucking Dick hard and deep, driving him back into the bed with every thrust. "You love taking it. You love getting fucked up the ass like a slut, don't you? This is what you need, you little perv. You need to be taken and used."

Dick sobbed and nodded hard, clutching his ankles to give Jason a better angle. He damn near folded himself in half, which made Jason laugh. Nobody should be that flexible but Dick was and he used it here, under Jason, so that he could get fucked through the mattress.

There wasn't much chance that Jason would be able to hold out, not after a beating and spanking and Dick's face right there in front of him, showing everything. He was so getting off on this. He didn't try to reach for his cock. He didn't even appear to remember that he had one. He was too focused on the pain and Jason's cock pounding him open and breaking everything loose. Jason nodded once, seeing it was time to switch gears.

"Good boy," Jason murmured. He reared up and started stroking Dick's cock hard and fast. "Doing so good, Dick. You're so good. Love the way you take it. Look at you, so beautiful. So perfect. That's my good boy. Come for me, Dick. Show me how good you are. Show me. Let me hear to you come!"

Dick wailed and clamped down so hard that it almost fucking ripped Jason's cock off. He came and sprayed all the way up to his chin, striping his chest as he shouted and moaned, crying out desperately. Jason waited until Dick collapsed back on the bed and then pulled out to spray on top of him too. Dick whimpered as the come hit his face. He licked his lips clean while quivering.

"Thank you," Dick whispered as Jason cleaned them both up.

"No problem, Dick," Jason said. He slapped Dick's ass, getting a squawk. "Move over. No way am I sleeping in that wet spot you made."

Dick laughed softly and moved over. Jason pulled him right back into his arms once the covers were up. Dick curled against his body and dropped to sleep nearly instantly. He was boneless and relaxed; the exact opposite of what he'd been when Jason found him in the cave. Jason smiled, nuzzling Dick's hair.

"Sleep well, Dickie-bird," Jason whispered.


	11. Adjustments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy and Tim have a discussion that precipitates a panic attack and then make some adjustments to their relationship in the aftermath.

Roy waited quietly for Tim to come out of his fugue state. It hurt like hell to see him hiding inside of his head this way but he obviously needed it or he wouldn't be doing it. Bruce and Clark had gone to eat a couple of minutes ago. Roy was pretty sure he could have pulled Tim to his feet and he would have walked and responded as if he was aware.

He wouldn't have been though. Tim's anger at Dick showed that much. They had to remember that Tim wasn't fully aware most of the time. _He_ had to remember it. A nod didn't mean Tim had heard and agreed anymore. It was a painful realization but better he feel that pain than Tim linger in this state because no one was paying attention to him. Tim suddenly blinked and took a deep breath.

"Hey," Roy said with a relieved smile. "Dick and Jason decided to eat upstairs. Bruce and Clark already went down. You hungry?"

"I... missed it?" Tim asked. His cheeks went flaming red. He looked viciously disappointed in himself.

"You were a bit out of it," Roy reassured him. "Its okay. After everything you went through there are going to be consequences. We all know that."

Tim stiffened and glared at Roy for am instant before casting his eyes down and wiping the expression from his face. Roy frowned. Yet another sign of what Tim had been through that he'd missed until now. Tim was hiding his emotions from everyone. He gently tapped Tim's chin, startling him into looking up.

"You can disagree with me," Roy said gently. "You can tell me things that you think will upset me. I won't get mad at you for it."

"I know that," Tim snapped and then winced. His hand locked tight in his lap, the knuckles white.

"Do you?"

Tim sighed and gazed into the fire for a moment before nodding abruptly. He looked like he was trying to convince himself that it was true, not that he really believed it. Roy shook his head sadly. They had such a long ways to go before Tim was back to normal. His bright Baby Bird would never have censored himself this way before, no matter how careful and precise he was about what he said.

"All right then," Roy said in a very slightly challenging tone of voice that hopefully wouldn't send Tim straight back into a fugue state. "What was your thought when I said that you'd been through a lot and there would be consequences?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Tim stood abruptly. His face was very pale but blank enough that Roy couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"I do," Roy replied. He didn't stand, instead looking up at Tim calmly. "What did you think?"

Tim's expression fluctuated between frightened and furious for a couple of seconds before settling into a calm dead mask that reminded Roy of Bruce when he was trying to control his temper. Tremors shook Tim's legs hard enough that Roy was surprised that Tim could keep standing. He wanted to stand and support Tim but didn't. Looming over him when he was pushing Tim's boundaries didn't seem like a wise idea.

"I shouldn't be having these problems," Tim declared finally. "Lex did what I wanted. There's no reason for me to be upset."

"While I will agree that you wanted some of it," Roy said while sternly controlling the flash of rage at Lex that was becoming habitual, "he very obviously didn't do only what you wanted. If it had all been fully consensual you wouldn't have run away into your mind and you would be able to stand up to him, as well as to us."

Tim started and stared at Roy as if he'd suddenly started reading minds. Where he'd been pale before now he went so white that he looked like a ghost. Roy braced himself to catch if Tim passed out. Tim swayed badly before locking his knees and raising his chin for an audible gulp. The fugue didn't sweep over his eyes so Roy took a deep breath and continued.

"From what we could see and what Cody said of his time there," Roy said, "Lex very carefully does just enough of what his boys like to string them on while slowly doing more and more of the things that they don't like as a method of breaking them to do whatever he wants."

Tim shivered and stared at Roy as if he'd suddenly become a venomous snake. Fear crept over his face though his eyes still seemed to be fully aware. Roy wasn't sure if Tim was still in there. He could be in another flashback. Figuring out what the signs of Tim's flashbacks and fugue states were became Roy's top priority, as well as figuring out their triggers.

"Is that accurate to what happened to you?" Roy asked.

Tim hesitated for a second and them nodded. Roy frowned.

"Was it accurate?" Roy repeated.

"I said yes," Tim snapped. His glare would have had Roy apologizing if only he'd been more certain of Tim's actual state of mind.

"No, you didn't," Roy said. "You nodded. That's not the same as saying it. I need to hear you say it. I'm sorry but it's the only way I can be sure you're hearing me. You don't talk when you've gone away inside of your head so if you're talking then you're really hearing me."

Tim drew a sharp breath, turning away. His expression shifted so quickly that Roy didn't know what to make of it. Agitation radiated in the set of his shoulders and the way he wrapped his arms around himself. Tim started pacing in a sharp little arc of three steps in one direction and three in the other. Roy could see little trickles of blood from where his nails had punctured his skin.

"Tim?"

Tim shook his head no violently. He started panting through his mouth, his eyes wide as he fought to be quiet. Roy growled, standing but not approaching Tim's path. This was new. He hadn't seen Tim fighting off a panic attack yet though Cody had mentioned that Tim was getting them.

"You can make noise," Roy said loudly in the hope that it would break through whatever was going on inside of Tim's head. "It's okay. You can cry if you need to, Tim. I'm here. You're safe."

It seemed to take a couple of seconds for Roy's words to break through Tim's panic. He managed nine more steps and then collapsed with a sobbing wail. Roy caught him, holding Tim tight while he sobbed and shook and clung to Roy's shirt. Frantic speculation as to what exactly he'd said that had set off the panic attack rampaged through Roy's mind as he comforted Tim.

"Is everything all right, Master Roy?" Alfred asked from the door. Worry just barely showed in his eyes but then Alfred always looked calm.

"Panic attack," Roy explained, rubbing Tim's back comfortingly.

"Ah," Alfred nodded. "He had one before you returned home when he saw that you had been wounded."

"Damn it, tell me these things!" Roy huffed at Alfred. "I can't help him if I don't know what's going on."

"I shall in the future, sir," Alfred said. "My apologies."

He nodded tightly at Roy and left, gently shutting the door behind him so that they wouldn't be disturbed. Roy rocked Tim and waited for the attack to end. His shirt was wet by the time Tim finally stopped crying. It took another five minutes for the shakes to stop and then another ten on top of that for Tim's grip on Roy's shirt to ease up.

"Sorry," Tim breathed some time after that.

His whole body relaxed in what had to be complete exhaustion. For the first time since he'd been rescued he didn't pull away from Roy. Roy didn't let his delight in getting to touch Tim again show. It wasn't necessarily progress. It was just exhaustion, nothing more.

"Don't be," Roy reassured him. "I don't know what I said that set that off but I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you a panic attack. I just want to make sure that you know what's going on and that we're taking care of you properly."

"Was building a while," Tim yawned. "Not your fault. So tired."

"Nap and then a late dinner?" Roy offered.

"Don't want to move," Tim murmured. He set his ear against Roy's chest, yawning again.

"Then don't," Roy said.

He squirmed a little bit to get his legs in a more comfortable position and then cuddled Tim close. They were right next to the fire so it was warm enough despite the evening chill in the air. Tim sighed, settled into Roy's arms and then started snoring ever so quietly. Roy grinned. He'd missed that little snore so much!

"Rest, Baby Bird," Roy whispered as he pressed a gentle kiss against Tim's hair. "I've got you."

+++++

Warm.

Tim's first thought was that he was warm. Someone larger than him was holding him close, cradling him between his legs. Tim smiled and snuggled closer. Pure animal pleasure in being held mixed with relief that he'd apparently done the right thing to get a reward. Confusion bled in as his mind slowly caught up to reality and he realized that it couldn't be Lex holding him. The smell was all wrong as were the muscles and Lex never lit the fireplace in his apartment. Besides, it was a gas fireplace, not one with fragrant cedar logs.

Tim woke fully as he remembered the day's events.

Lex had been arrested for trying to kill Andrew, Cody and Lian. Mercy had been arrested. That was a hard one to wrap his mind around. Mercy and _arrested_ simply did not belong in the same sentence. Lex was God but Mercy was God's bodyguard and thus twice as scary. He couldn't believe that anyone would have had the nerve to put handcuffs around her wrists.

The man holding Tim shifted slightly, running his fingers through Tim's hair.

It felt so familiar. Tim breathed more deeply, taking in the scent the pressed against his nose. After everything that had happened he'd almost forgotten Roy's smell but the tender way he played with Tim's hair and the brush of his lips against Tim's forehead brought it all back.

He'd had a panic attack. Roy had comforted him. Tim had been so exhausted afterwards that he hadn't been able to move a finger, much less stand up and go downstairs. Lethargy still clung to Tim's limbs like weights wrapped around his wrists and ankles. It was so much easier to simply lie there and allow himself to be held than it was to be strong enough to pull away. Pretending to be Tim Drake instead of the catamite Little Bird was so hard sometimes.

"Waking up?" Roy whispered as if he didn't want Tim to wake.

Tim made an incoherent noise, equally unwilling to disturb this strange embrace. A chuckle rippled through Roy's chest. The arms wrapped around him tightened for a moment. Roy's fingers tightened ever so faintly in Tim's hair, setting off a fission of squirmy delight. Roy, hair pulling, being restrained; he shouldn't want it anymore. Lex was gone. He didn't get that anymore.

"Mmm, like that did you?" Roy asked very quietly.

He wrapped his fingers into the hair at the nape of Tim's neck and pulled just hard enough for Tim to feel it. Tim gasped at the pleasure that blasted through him. He shouldn't want this! He knew he shouldn't want it anymore. They wouldn't accept it. They wouldn't accept him.

His fingers tightened into Roy's shirt like little traitors, betraying how much he did still want it. Tim shivered in anticipation of Roy's disgust and rejection.

"Kind of like your hair longer," Roy whispered. "Not too much longer but this is nice. The possibilities…"

His lips were hot against Tim's forehead because Roy was pulling Tim's hair again, gently dragging his head back so that Tim's face was exposed for Roy to see. Tim kept his eyes firmly shut against what he feared was in Roy's eyes. Lips brushed his forehead, his nose, drifted across his eyes to dust tender kisses on Tim's cheekbones. Tim whimpered and pulled back just a little but Roy's arm was there around him, keeping him from fleeing.

"Do you want this?" Roy asked.

His voice was so different. It held a note of command that Tim hadn't heard outside of combat before. It was so like Lex's Master voice that a sob surprised Tim and made it past his teeth. Little shushing sounds brushed over his face while Roy's fingers tightened again in Tim's hair.

"Answer me," Roy insisted. "Yes or no. Do you want this?"

He tugged harder at Tim's hair while squeezing him so firmly that Tim's arms were trapped between their chests.

"Yes," Tim whispered.

"The pulling?"

"Yes."

"Being restrained?"

"Yes!"

"By me?"

"Please!" Tim begged. "Please! Pleasepleaseplease…"

Roy's muscles bunched and suddenly they were moving. His back impacted with the rug spread in front of the fire hard enough to drive the air out of Tim's lungs for just a second. His eyes flew open just long enough for Tim to see Roy's face over his. Love and lust and acceptance were all he saw there.

"Please!" Tim cried and shut his eyes again against tears this time.

"Not sure you're ready," Roy said.

He pulled harder on Tim's hair. Tim turned in the direction Roy wanted. Either he moved or he lost a chunk of hair. Pleasure and pain battled with fear and excitement, making Tim's stomach churn with so much more than hunger. Roy did something and abruptly Tim was belly down on the rug with Roy draped on top of him. Fingers curled around Tim's wrist, dragging his hand away from its efforts to knot in the pile of the carpet and then securing it behind his back. The grip was just this side of painful.

Tim keened.

"That's my Baby Bird," Roy murmured into Tim's ear.

"_Little_ Bird," Tim gasped. He flexed his hips and rubbed his painfully hard cock against the rug. It would be so much better if only he were naked.

"No, that's Jason," Roy chuckled. "Your our Baby Bird, Tim. Dick's the Big Bird. Jason's the Little Bird. You're our Baby Bird since Damien probably won't ever be anything but the demon spawn."

Laughter spluttered free from Tim's lips. He wasn't Little Bird anymore. Lex's name for this side of him was gone. Roy's hips ground against Tim's ass, revealing an erection that felt like it was made of solid steel. The laughter turned into whimpering moans as need overwhelmed Tim.

"You're not ready yet," Roy whispered against Tim's neck. "I'm not ready yet. You will be eventually but not yet."

"Please, please, please, please, please," Tim begged.

He needed more. Something, anything, more pain, more pleasure, less control, something had to happen if he was ever going to get the release he needed. Roy growled and caught Tim's other wrist, wrenching it behind his back with the other one. He knelt on Tim's hips and secured Tim's wrists somehow before spreading himself on top of Tim's back. His full weight pressed down on Tim, driving the air from his lungs and the thoughts from his mind.

"He bit you here," Roy murmured against a spot on Tim's neck. "I watched."

Teeth closing on Tim's skin replaced hot breath and tender lips. At first it was just a nip but Roy's teeth kept tightening until pain made Tim gasp and cry out. The spot throbbed hotly like someone had just set every nerve in that location on fire. Roy's hands pulled Tim's shirt down, allowing his lips to glide across the muscles of Tim's upper back.

"And here."

Roy bit again, hard and possessive and nearly enough to push Tim over the edge. Tim shouted, bucking against the weight restraining him, against Roy's hard cock that was separated from him by far too many layers of fabric. Roy chuckled. A swipe of his tongue over the throbbing bite made Tim whimper.

"I hated it when he bit you," Roy murmured before biting another spot on Tim's shoulder hard enough that tears welled up in Tim's eyes. "Hated it. You never belonged to him. He didn't have the right to mark my Tim!"

Tim's mind went white as Roy bit the exact spot that Lex had first marked when he'd been kidnapped as bait. _My_ Tim mixed with the pleasure-pain of the bite and Roy's weight. Tim heard himself sobbing as his balls tightened up in an orgasm that seemed to start in his toes and swept upwards from there to knock his mind straight into darkness.

Wet.

Tim squirmed when he came to. Wet pants were sticking to his groin. His arms were still tied behind his back. Someone, Roy, was still draped half on top of him. Roy's hard cock was still hard as iron against Tim's buttock.

"Hey there," Roy chuckled.

"Wow," Tim breathed. He turned his head and looked into Roy's eyes.

"That was moderately wow," Roy agreed with a cheeky grin that held a lot of awe as well. "You should have told me you liked being bitten. I love that."

"Really?" Tim asked, surprised.

"Sure," Roy nodded. "Always have. Though you got so weird after that one time I gave you a hickie that I was careful not to do it anymore. I thought you _didn't_ like it."

"Bruce didn't warn you off?" Tim asked in shock. He squirmed a little so that he could face Roy properly.

Roy shook his head and gently tugged on the hair at the back of Tim's neck just hard enough for Tim to feel it. He smiled so tenderly that it almost made Tim cry. No one had looked at him with tenderness for so very long. He'd almost forgotten what it looked like. He'd only seen lust and worry and cold calculation ever since he went to Lex.

"No, he told me to make sure you were happy," Roy admitted with an air of shame. "I'm sorry I did such a bad job of it for so long. I'll do better from now on, I promise."

He pulled Tim close and wrapped his arms around him as if he was the most precious thing in the entire world. Tim bit his lip against another wave of emotion that tried to set of the damned tears. His pants were wet. The bites on his neck throbbed. His wrists felt a little sore. Tim focused on the physical so that he didn't have to face the emotional storm still raging inside.


	12. Reconnect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clark and Bruce deal with the aftermath of everything that's happened in the ways that they've developed over their years together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't realize that I'd fallen behind in posting chapters to this! Pretty dramatically behind. Hope everyone enjoys the new content. #^^#

"I'm very sorry, Master Bruce, Master Clark," Alfred said from the door to the dining room. "Masters Roy and Tim have also decided to forgo dinner."

"Forgo?" Clark asked, fidgeting in his place next to Bruce at the table. He really didn't like the sound of that.

"It may be more accurate to say that Master Tim is not feeling up to it at the moment," Alfred allowed with entirely too much sorrow in his eyes. His face remained calm other than the downward twist of his lips.

"What happened?" Bruce asked. 

He stood as if to head straight there but Alfred raised a hand, stopping him in his tracks. Clark couldn't think of anyone else with the power to stop the Batman with a small gesture of one hand. Alfred sighed quietly and tilted his shoulders in a tiny shrug that conveyed a huge amount of emotion.

"A panic attack, Master Bruce," Alfred explained in such a gentle tone that it made Clark's heart hurt. "Master Roy is with him. He's sleeping at the moment."

Bruce nodded tightly and sat back down. His jaw worked as he glared at the plate. Clark kind of suspected that he was seeing Lex's decapitated head instead of his dinner. Alfred quietly gathered up Roy and Tim's plates, carrying them off to the kitchen to be covered up for later if they wanted them. Despite his outward calm, Clark could hear Alfred's slightly elevated heartbeat. He was as upset about this as anyone else.

"Thank you, Alfred," Clark called after him.

"You're quite welcome, Master Clark," Alfred said with a reassured and reassuring smile. "Do please leave your plates when you're done. I'll clean up later. Good evening."

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce growled in his Bat voice.

Alfred smiled and nodded, shutting the door behind him as he left. Bruce grumbled and attacked his steak as if he really was carving into Lex's hide. Clark sighed and ate as well. No matter how upset he was it would be a shame to let Alfred's cooking go to waste. They ate in silence. He knew better than to interrupt Bruce when he was brooding this way. This wasn't the sort of brooding that allowed for interruption. It was the sort that would trigger one of Bruce's icy rages if Clark attempted to interact too soon. He waited and ate slowly, knowing that eventually the dam would crack. He'd be able to help Bruce after that.

"Damn him," Bruce growled after a few minutes of angry chewing.

"Lex?" Clark asked. He set the fork and knife down and pushed his plate away. There was about a quarter of the meal left, which was pretty good given everything that had happened today.

"Of course." 

Bruce still looked blackly furious, caught in the rages that kept swallowing him since Tim had fallen into Lex's trap. Clark sighed. Better than anyone, he understood how Tim had been tricked. Lex could be so seductive when he chose to be. He was smart enough that he saw instantly when you felt or thought something no matter how hard you tried to hide it. Unfortunately, he was also unscrupulous enough to use it against you.

"He wasn't that bad years ago," Clark said very quietly. "He's gotten worse over the years."

Bruce's wine glass flew across the room and smashed into the fireplace. Clark didn't twitch. Years ago he would have been stammering and apologizing for upsetting Bruce but after all this time he knew that it wasn't Clark that had angered him. The rage had to come out somehow. It was either break a few things that Bruce could easily replace or go out on patrol and break a few heads that would take much more to repair.

"I couldn't let you go save him," Bruce growled. His eyes were fixed on the plate.

"I know," Clark said.

"There was kryptonite," Bruce continued as if Clark was blaming him for it all. "He would have killed you, enslaved you. I couldn't allow that."

"I'm glad that you didn't, even though I begged to be allowed to go," Clark said just a little louder so that he could be sure that it would get through to Bruce.

"You're… glad?" Bruce asked, startled out of his rage.

Clark smiled, quite aware that it was a sad, regretful little smile. He nodded and settled his chin on his hands to look towards the fireplace and the broken glass twinkling in the flames. The silence stretched for a long moment before Bruce's hand rested on his shoulder. Clark allowed his shoulders to slowly relax slowly under Bruce's touch before he spoke.

"I was so worried about Tim that I wasn't seeing things clearly," Clark admitted. "You know how I get when someone needs to be saved, especially when it's someone I care about."

"I know."

Bruce chuckled and stood, coming to rest both of his hands on Clark's shoulders. Clark leaned back against him, allowing his eyes to fall shut. The angry pounding of Bruce's heart gradually slowed. His thumbs rubbed softly against the sides of Clark's neck, exactly where the collar lay when they played. A shiver swept over Clark. Bruce laughed, low and dark. He bent and pressed a kiss against Clark's neck just above the spot his thumb was caressing.

"We haven't played since Tim was taken," Bruce murmured into Clark's ear while continuing to rub his neck exactly right to send shivers down his spine.

"Please?" Clark asked. "It was too hard when Lex had Tim. Too many memories of what he did to me, but now that Tim's safe and being taken care of I think we could both use it."

"I know I could use it," Bruce admitted in a low growl that sent another shiver up Clark's spine. "Let's go. If you're okay…"

"Yes," Clark declared. He turned to look up at Bruce. The worry in Bruce's eyes faded to be replaced immediately by lustful dominance. "I'm okay. I want this, Bruce. I need it."

They left the dishes as Alfred had requested and headed upstairs. Clark stopped and peeked in on Tim and Roy along the way. They were asleep on the rug next to the fire so Clark shut the door silently. Jason's room was locked though Clark's ears could easily hear his activities with Dick.

"You're snooping," Bruce said as he pulled Clark away from Jason's door and towards the master bedroom.

"It's not snooping," Clark protested against amusement in Bruce's eyes and voice. "I was just checking to make sure that they're okay."

Bruce's chuckle made Clark blush right out to the tips of his ears. The master bedroom had been soundproofed to the point that Clark could sleep soundly when he was in the mansion. It also ensured that Clark could be as noisy as he wanted and he wouldn't disturb the kids or Alfred.

A look from Bruce had Clark stripping his clothes off, all the way down to his skin. Bruce followed suit, though he pulled on a warm robe before he went to the dresser and pulled out the box that held Clark's collar. Bruce gestured, pointing towards the ground. Clark knelt, settling to his knees in the center of the room.

The collar was two simple layers of leather sewn together with a gold-colored clasp. It was special for reasons that didn't show. Bruce had had it made especially for Clark years ago. As Bruce hooked a finger under Clark's chin, prompting him to raise it enough to allow Bruce to buckle on the collar, Clark's breathing settled and his heart slowed.

"Painful?" Bruce asked once the collar settled around Clark's neck.

"No Master," Clark said.

It wasn't. Sometimes, after big battles or when he was especially tired, it did hurt. The sentimental value of his collar wasn't what made it truly special for Clark. Tiny kryptonite shards encased between the layers of leather were what made it different from any other collar. Today the shards were just enough to lower Clark's invulnerability without hurting him. The little shivers of disruption from the shards weren't enough to hurt right now.

"Good."

Bruce put his finger over Clark's lips, commanding him to silence. Clark nodded once to acknowledge the order. His whole body stilled further as Bruce ran his hand through Clark's hair. The simple touch felt so different with his invulnerability lowered. He could practically feel every single hair being pulled as Bruce continued to pet his hair. Nails scraped against Clark's scalp as Bruce's fingers tightened just so in Clark's hair.

"Quiet," Bruce warned as Clark's mouth dropped open in a shuddery sigh of pleasure.

Clark shut his mouth with a snap, breathing harshly through his nose as Bruce continued to pull on his hair. It was such a simple little thing, a gentle tug that was hardly strong enough to make Clark's scalp shift, but it always left him panting and hard as a rock. Bruce's grip intensified and he pulled Clark's head around to the side like a rider guiding a horse. Clark's worries about the kids fell away.

With simple touches and silent gestures Bruce directed Clark to the bed where he lay on his stomach with his arms stretched up to the headboard. Bruce took his time securing Clark's wrists. The cuffs he used had tiny chips of kryptonite embedded in them, lowering Clark's powers even further. Now when Bruce scratched his fingers along Clark's spine it sent a tiny frission of pleasure-pain through him. A simple blindfold over his eyes removed Clark's sight, leaving him completely vulnerable to whatever Bruce, his Master, wanted.

"I love seeing you this way," Bruce murmured. The bed dipped as Bruce climbed onto the end and slid between Clark's legs. "It's been far too long."

Clark nodded urgently. He had to bite his lip to keep from moaning loudly as Bruce's nails ran up the back of his legs. They were blunt and cut short but Clark could swear that they had grown to be claw-like since the blindfold went on. The loss of control and sight always amplified his perceptions of Bruce's actions to an incredible degree.

A gasp exploded from Clark's lips when Bruce bit the back of his right thigh without any warning. The nails combined with Bruce's teeth in a second bite just below the small of Clark's back. The slow torture of gentle scratches and little bites continued up Clark's back until Bruce was draped on top of him. His erection pressed against Clark's buttocks, promising so much.

"What am I?" Bruce whispered against the nape of Clark's neck.

"Master," Clark replied. His voice shook from how aroused he was. "My Master."

"Good," Bruce replied in a dark rumble that made Clark's balls tighten up.

Given Tim's condition Clark really didn't expect anything that would leave marks. Bruce enjoyed seeing marks on Clark's skin but not when he was angry. When he was angry their games became pure dominance and submission, Clark giving over his control to Bruce and Bruce taking care of him as only he could.

Fingers ran along Clark's legs, adjusting his position so that he was kneeling with his forehead pressed into the cover. Bruce made sure that Clark's legs were spread wide, leaving him fully exposed and completely accessible to his Master. He swallowed hard as the nails returned, this time scraping along his inner thighs.

Every breath Bruce made sounded like a bellows though Bruce's breathing was low and calm. It was just that Clark's senses were heightened by the blindfold and Bruce's control over him. He shivered as the pads of Bruce's fingers grazed against his ass. They weren't wet with lube so obviously Bruce intended to tease Clark more before giving him what they both needed. Bruce shifted position and pressed up against Clark's rear end.

"Uh!" Clark gasped despite Bruce's order to be quiet.

"Hush," Bruce rumbled.

His erection pressed against Clark's ass, already wet with lube. Clark had no idea when Bruce had done it but the fact that he had and that he'd surprised Clark made his whole body relax. A liquid chuckle from Bruce nearly made Clark moan out loud. It burned exactly right as Bruce slowly pushed inside and then paused when he was balls deep. Bruce's nails dragged hard along Clark's back. They felt like knives. He was halfway convinced he had bloody scratches down his back once Bruce reached his buttocks.

Once Bruce started moving Clark's thoughts and fears faded away. Bruce's hands pressed down on his hips, keeping Clark from moving at all. It would be nearly impossible for him to move anyway with how far his knees were spread but Bruce's grip ensured that Clark could only lie there and take it. The first few plunges were slow and implacable. Every one pushed at Clark's control, driving him towards making noise that Bruce didn't want. The bedspread went hot and moist under Clark's face as he panted.

Bruce started moving faster. His nails dug into the sides of Clark's hips as he pushed Clark down onto his belly. The stimulation of the bedspread against Clark's neglected erection made him gasp and then whine. Teeth grazed against Clark's shoulder blade. Bruce kept pounding into Clark, taking him harder and faster as Clark relaxed into the experience.

"Hold it," Bruce panted against Clark's back. He draped himself over Clark again, holding Clark's wrists. "Not until I say. Understood?"

Clark nodded desperately. He wanted to come. He didn't want to disappoint Bruce. He needed, needed so much. Everything that Bruce did was heaven. It was torture of the kindest, most perfect kind, especially as Bruce's plunges sped up and then stopped cold as warmth flooded into Clark.

"Oh yes," Bruce murmured so quietly that it was nearly inaudible.

Clark let out a breath that was a sigh combined with a whimper. Bruce nuzzled the back of Clark's neck for a second as he pulled out. He touched Clark's legs, shifting his position again. This time Bruce moved Clark around until he was lying on his back with his legs spread wide. His nails scratched over Clark's thighs, moving almost torturously slowly down to his erection.

"Very good," Bruce murmured as he palmed Clark.

Clark opened his mouth to moan and then snapped it shut again. It felt so good to have Bruce touching him, stroking him so tenderly. Bruce started slow again. He gave Clark the stimulation he needed to come but not quite fast enough or hard enough for him to reach the orgasm that hovered just out of reach.

"Do you want it?" Bruce asked in his darkest Master voice.

"I-if it pleases you," Clark panted. He licked his lips, desperately hoping that it would please Bruce. Sometimes it pleased him to leave Clark hard and wanting all night so that he was twice as eager when he was finally allowed release.

"You please me," Bruce whispered. "Do it. Now!"

Clark couldn't have resisted if he'd wanted to. Bruce's mouth engulfed the head of his erection and descended all the way down. His fingers moved down and plunged into Clark, pressing against the organ that approximated a prostate for Clark.

"Master!" Clark shouted as his whole body convulsed with pleasure.

He came so hard that he blanked out. When he came back to himself it was obvious that only a few moments had passed. Bruce's fingers were still inside of him. His mouth was only just leaving Clark's rapidly fading erection. Clark's legs were shaking from the power of his orgasm.

"Mmm, that's my boy," Bruce said. He sounded proud and just a little hoarse. "Hold still."

"Yes Master," Clark whispered.

Bruce patted Clark's inner thigh and then removed the cuffs holding his hands over his head. He slipped off the blindfold and placed a hand as a shield over Clark's eyes until they had recovered. The tender smile that graced Bruce's lips was a huge change from the grim expression that had marked his face the last several months.

"Do you want me to take the collar off?" Bruce asked.

"No," Clark said, smiling as Bruce pulled him close. "Can I leave it on tonight?"

"Of course." Bruce chuckled. "I'd like to wake up to it around your neck."

"Me too," Clark sighed. "Thank you, Master."

"You're welcome."

Bruce settled down to sleep very quickly. Clark took a bit longer, which was normal for him. The world might need them at any time so sleep was a good idea but Clark couldn't fall asleep yet. He looked at Bruce's peaceful features in the darkness of the bedroom and smiled. Come what may, despite the separate pasts that haunted them both, they'd found each other and created a life together. They had hope and love and family. He didn't need anything else.

Clark set his head on Bruce's shoulder and fell asleep.


	13. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred takes care of his boys in his own inimitable way. Not surprisingly, it does a good job reassuring Tim that things will be okay.

Alfred hummed quietly as he prepared breakfast for the many people now staying in the manor. It had been quite some time since the manor had been so full. It was a pleasant change from the quite and worry of the past few months. Granted there was still quite a bit to worry about but at least all of his boys were home, other than Master Damien. Not that he thought Master Damien would appreciate being considered one of Alfred's boys but it hardly mattered to Alfred. He was Master Bruce's son and thus he belonged in the manor, no matter how obstreperous he could be.

Pancakes and waffles for Master Clark and Master Jason, Alfred thought as he opened the waffle iron and nodded approval at their golden color. Eggs and bacon for Master Dick. Cold cereal with chocolate milk for Master Roy. Toast, marmalade and coffee for Master Bruce. Toast, jam and tea for Master Tim.

"Quite the appropriate breakfast choice," Alfred murmured as he finished gathering the tea things for Master Tim. His own tea and toast had been consumed before he began breakfast preparations.

"Hey, let me help with that," Master Jason called as Alfred rolled the heavily laden breakfast cart towards the downstairs salon where Master Bruce had decided to hold their morning meal.

"Thank you but there's no need, Master Jason," Alfred said. "I have it."

"Quite the spread," Master Dick said with his normal bright smile. 

He had several quite distinct bruises on his chin and a very distinct love bite on his neck but he looked content with them so Alfred didn't comment. Master Jason hovered around Master Dick's side, attempting quite unsuccessfully to look as though he wasn't concerned about his sometime-lover. It looked to Alfred as though Master Dick was quite amused by Master Jason's posturing. His lips kept curling into little grins before flattening back out as if he was holding back quips by sheer force of will.

Master Bruce and Master Clark were in the small salon, with Master Clark sitting on the floor in front of Master Bruce's legs. They managed to make it look casual and friendly rather than something explicitly more sexual, but Master Clark was still wearing the small leather collar that Alfred had learned not to look at. Master Clark blushed brightly as Jason leered at them, his eyes immediately latching onto the collar.

"I have breakfast for everyone," Alfred announced with a stern look at Master Jason that made him wince and shuffle his feet before he squared his shoulders and glared back. "I take it that breakfast will be casual this morning, Master Bruce?"

"Yes, Alfred," Master Bruce said with a calm, confident smile that spoke volumes about their play last light. "I think we can all do with it."

"Very good, Master Bruce," Alfred said. "I'll just put everything on the side table then. I've made sure that everyone's plates are labeled already."

He set to work at arranging the plates on the side table. Rather than follow his usual ordering by seniority, Alfred arranged them according to dominant and submissive this morning. It appeared to be the order of the day and perhaps it would help Master Tim to see that he wasn't alone in his personal choices.

"Hey, smells good," Master Roy called from the door. He had an arm wrapped around Master Tim as if to protect him. "What're we having?"

"I made individual breakfasts for everyone this morning, Master Roy," Alfred said with a warm smile at Master Tim that appeared to make him uncomfortable. "I hope your favorite cereal and milk will be appropriate."

"You bet," Master Roy said, grinning brightly.

"You have tea, toast and fresh blackberry jelly, Master Tim," Alfred said as he passed the covered plate to him. "Do let me know if you'd like the apple jelly instead. We have a couple of jars that I've kept aside for when you returned."

Master Bruce started and stared at Alfred with an expression that mixed outrage with resigned amusement. He had been asking for Alfred's homemade apple jelly for weeks, at least until Alfred had told him that they were out. Master Clark laughed into his fist. His eyes sparkled with laughter that Alfred had ignored his wishes. Alfred merely raised an eyebrow at Master Bruce. Tending to the boys, especially Master Tim with his many issues from that Luthor individual's treatment of him, came before Master Bruce's grouchy desire to poke at the open wound that had been Master Tim's absence.

"Thank you, Alfred," Master Tim said very quietly indeed. He swallowed hard before taking the plate. "Blackberry is fine."

"Very good, sir," Alfred said, nodding at him before passing Master Roy's plate to him and then Master Jason and Master Dick's plates to them.

Master Clark collected Master Bruce and his plates, bringing them back and settling on the floor again. Master Tim frowned slightly at his position but didn't appear to think anything of it until Alfred was serving drinks to everyone. Once he noticed the collar around Master Clark's neck Master Tim froze with his cup of tea halfway to his mouth. Master Roy caught it immediately and eased his hand back to the saucer. Everyone noticed but no one commented on it, as was appropriate.

Alfred sighed quietly. It truly annoyed him that Master Tim had been so badly scarred by his treatment in Alexander Luthor's home. There wasn't much that he could do about it at this point other than continue to treat Master Tim as he always had. Master Tim was very likely the most intelligent of his boys, surpassing Master Bruce in that regard. He was strong and once he'd been granted enough time and distance he would be stronger still. That Master Tim would return to his crime-fighting ways was as inevitable as his return to school and other more normal activities. Time and appropriate support were all that were required in Alfred's opinion.

By Alfred's count Master Tim was in his fugue state for one minute, twenty-seven seconds. He returned to them with a tiny start that combined with a slightly wild expression in his eyes. Master Bruce was slowly combing his fingers through Master Clark's hair, making him purr with delight. Master Dick was nibbling his way down a bite of bacon while smirking at the look in Master Jason's eyes. The gesture and noises that Master Dick was making verged on the obscene but that was part of their relationship so Alfred ignored it.

Rather than look to Master Roy, Master Tim turned and looked at Alfred with a question blatant in his eyes.

'I'm really seeing this, aren't I?' Master Tim asked without words. His fingers trembled on the teacup and saucer. 'This is real.'

Alfred smiled and patted Master Tim's shoulder as he passed with the breakfast cart. He allowed his hand to linger on Master Tim's shoulder, noting the small love bite that just barely peeked over the edge of Master Tim's collar. The love and approval that Alfred tried to express through his actions appeared to connect with Master Tim. He blushed, smiling shyly at Alfred.

"Do let me know if you need anything later," Alfred said to the room at large and Master Tim in particular. "I'll be in the kitchen cleaning up. Leave the dishes once you're done. I'll come collect them."

Alfred bowed slightly at the round of thanks that everyone gave him. When he glanced back into the room as he shut the door Master Tim was watching him with gratitude in his eyes. Alfred smiled and bowed again just a little more deeply. Cleaning up the kitchen took about half an hour, which wasn't quite long enough for his boys to complete whatever discussions were going to happen. Alfred passed another half hour by preparing and making Master Tim's favorite blueberry scones for later. He'd just popped them into the oven when Master Tim appeared with a stack of plates and cups in his arms.

"I know," Master Tim said before Alfred could scold him for the action, "you said that we should leave them but I wanted to help out."

"Thank you very much, Master Tim," Alfred said as he unloaded Master Tim's arms and put everything into the dishwasher. "I appreciate the sentiment and the effort, misguided as it was."

"Um, can I ask you a question?" Master Tim asked very hesitantly. 

"Always, Master Tim," Alfred said while measuring out the detergent. "I shall endeavor to give you the best answer that I can."

Master Tim wrung his hands rather than meet Alfred's eyes. It took him nineteen seconds to work up the nerve to look at Alfred and speak, which said quite a bit about how badly his nerves must still be stretched from his ordeal. Alfred waited patiently, keeping all emotion other than affection and support quite firmly off of his face.

"Why do you call us all 'Master'?" Master Tim asked. "I know that you said it was because it's how you were trained but this seems like more than just proper respect to an employer."

Alfred chuckled and put a hand on Master Tim's shoulder. It was indeed a question that Master Tim, and every single one of his boys, had asked at one time or another. Master Dick had been quite persistent in asking the question when he first arrived in the household. Master Jason only reluctantly accepted Alfred's refusal to use his unadorned name after months of concerted, failed, arguments.

"It is indeed how I was trained, Master Tim," Alfred said with great fondness for the boy. "However not all of that training was job related and not all service is merely for a wage."

Master Tim's eyes went wide at Alfred's words. His mouth turned into an 'O' that made Alfred chuckle once more.

"I might be so bold as to say that not all 'service' is sexual, Master Tim," Alfred explained gently. "Some find deep satisfaction in tending to those that they care for, with no need for the service to extend into the bedroom. You are of course free to ask further should you wish, but I do have blueberry scones to remove from the oven at this moment."

"Scones?" Master Tim asked in a completely different tone of voice. He perked up and looked very much like his old self.

"Yes indeed, fresh blueberry scones," Alfred said.

A grin spread across Master Tim's face at the same time that he blushed shyly. Master Tim got the butter as Alfred retrieved the scones. Master Tim left the kitchen a minute later, nibbling happily at his favorite treat. Alfred smiled and returned to his quiet humming as he worked. 

Yes, he did think that Master Tim would be all right in time. There would be adjustments to their lives and to his view of the world but he was a bright lad who would find his way back to his center inevitably. All he needed was support and the love of those around him.


	14. Questions and Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Dick finally talk and Tim learns more about what Dick and Jason share.

It was odd that something as simple as a blueberry scone could make Tim feel like he was truly home at last. The discussion with Alfred hadn't gone the way Tim had expected. Alfred always had been completely loving, but he'd seemed so totally secretive that he'd never dared ask questions about his past. He hadn't asked that much, honestly, but the revelation that Alfred had a submissive side helped a lot.

Tim wasn't alone.

He didn't think that he'd ever be satisfied with non-sexual service but maybe it could suffice if he couldn't get what he really needed. Alfred certainly seemed to be happy serving the family. Tim nibbled his scone while wandering very slowly back towards the drawing room where everyone else waited. He really didn't want to get there. It wasn't that he wanted to avoid them as much as he knew that they were all stressing out over his condition and it was hard to deal with.

It would be perfect if he could just get everyone to pretend that he was the same as he used to be. Tim sighed, licking butter off the fingers of one hand before returning to nibbling his scone. He knew better than that. He would never be the same as he used to be. Lex had taken normalcy away from Tim along with his voice and ever sort of virginity there was to lose. Pretending that nothing had happened was counter-productive, if incredibly tempting.

Quick, light steps sounded up the hallway, filled with an urgency that made Tim automatically tense up. He knew those footsteps. Dick rounded the corner ahead and froze the instant he saw Tim heading slowly towards him. His expression had been urgent and worried, with a deep line between his eyebrows. As soon as he saw the scone the worry evaporated, replaced by the laughter that had first imprinted Dick into Tim's childish mind back at the circus.

"Scones?" Dick asked. He leaned against the wall, letting Tim come to him.

"Blueberry," Tim replied. "Fresh out of the oven."

"Alfred likes you best," Dick mock-complained. His grin made the complaint nothing more than familiar teasing.

"No, he likes Bruce best," Tim said with a little shrug.

"Made you scones," Dick said with a nod of agreement with Tim's words even as he continued to tease. "And he hid the jelly from Bruce."

"That's because he's Alfred. He does things like that," Tim said. He finished the last bite of his scone and licked his fingers clean. "Your chin is bruised. It wasn't bruised last night."

All the laughter fled from Dick's eyes and posture. Instead of his normal fluid stance, he suddenly seemed to be transformed into something made from blocks of wood. Particularly awkward blocks of wood, Tim thought as Dick swallowed hard and looked away. He could practically see the thoughts tumbling through Dick's mind. Tim reached out and touched Dick's chin, comparing the size of the bruises to his fingertips.

"Jason?" Tim asked despite the way his stomach was flipping the scone over inside of him.

"Um, yeah," Dick said extremely hesitantly. "After you left he came downstairs and found me alone. I was… upset. He, we, well, that is…"

"Played," Tim finished for him since it didn't look like Dick was going to manage to say it out loud. He hadn't thought that _Dick_ would have any trouble talking about something like that. "Together."

"Yeah," Dick said and shrugged awkwardly.

Tim cocked his head at Dick, wondering how much he'd missed over the years. He'd never thought that Dick and Jason were involved that way. They spent so much time fighting each other that he wouldn't have thought that they could be partners. Dick had so many other people that he played with openly, too. He didn't understand why he wouldn't be open about Jason if they really were involved. Hearing Roy say it didn't make it real for Tim.

"Why hide it?" Tim asked just a little angrily. "You never showed it before."

"I don't let him bruise my face," Dick explained. "I didn't realize that he'd done it until this morning. Honestly, I don't like being marked at all. The only time I allow it is when I'm really upset about things. And last night I was… very upset."

"About me," Tim said cautiously.

"Yeah," Dick said. He looked away again, this time with that worried frown that had marked his face when Tim first sighted him. "I don't know if you realize it but we discussed the whole plan with you there. You nodded as if you agreed. I really thought that you knew what we were going to do. I thought you'd agreed to do it."

"Oh," Tim breathed.

Tim eyes went wide for a moment before he shut them tight. No wonder Dick had looked like he'd been stabbed last night. It hadn't been Dick's fault, or any of their faults, for keeping things from Tim. He'd been so messed up that he'd missed things happening right in front of him. Tim wondered how much time he'd missed since he'd been rescued. Losing time when he'd been with Lex had been a survival mechanism that he'd been desperately grateful for. The problem now was that he wasn't sure what triggered it. Panic attacks were bad enough. Lost time was even worse.

"So you and Jason are together?" Tim asked to change the subject. Figuring out the lost time issue was something he'd do on his own. Dick couldn't help with that.

"Not really," Dick said thoughtfully. His eyes were still a little worried as he gazed at Tim but not that bad. "We play together sometimes but our kinks don't coincide very well. I'm all about the submission and Jason's all about laying claim and marking his territory. I don't like marks or pain unless I'm in the right mood. Jason's…"

Dick laughed ruefully, shrugging at Tim. He turned around and pulled the back of his shirt up so that Tim could see his back. Tim gasped. He had no idea how Jason had done it but somehow he'd created an almost mathematically precise pattern of bruises on Dick's back. It looked like Dick had gotten flung into a brick wall, though the bricks were a little small to be from real bricks.

"Wow," Tim breathed. He ran a gentle finger over one of the bruises, making Dick shudder and twitch.

"He's a sadist," Dick said over his shoulder to Tim. "Causing pain and leaving marks are what he enjoys the most. Since I don't like that most of the time we normally don't play together but when I'm really upset he calms me down better than anything else."

He tugged his shirt back down, covering up the pattern that Jason had gifted him with. Tim felt absurdly jealous of Dick. That was the sort of thing he'd learned to love with Lex. It was also exactly what Roy had said that he wasn't willing or able to do for Tim.

"You want it," Dick said softly.

Tim nodded rather than replying verbally.

"Tim, being marked this way is something that you want, isn't it?" Dick repeated. "I can't trust nods anymore."

"I… do," Tim said around the jealousy creating a lump in his throat. "Roy said Jason would do that for me but I don't know."

"He would," Dick said with so much certainty that it made Tim rock back on his heels a little. "He'd enjoy the living hell out of it honestly. He's commented in the past about how good you'd look on your knees. Jason has something of a scar and bruise fetish, especially if he put them there. As long as Roy allowed it, he'd be perfectly happy to give you whatever marks you want."

A thousand and one experiences with Lex suddenly flooded through Tim's mind. So much of what they'd done had been overwhelming but it had also been so much fun. Tim whimpered, trying to fight off the memories that wanted to drown him. He wanted it, everything that Lex had done to him, but the fear of being enslaved again was so terribly strong.

By the time he fought the memories off and came back to himself he was sitting on the floor with Dick's arms and legs wrapped around him. Dick rocked him gently while caressing Tim's hair. Tim shuddered, turning his face into Dick's neck.

"Sorry," Tim whispered.

"Don't be, Baby Bird," Dick murmured. "I know it'll take time. Remember, Roy will never let you be hurt again. If Jason laid a finger on you without your permission _and Roy's_ he would cut Jay's balls off and feed them to him. He's very gentle with you but believe me, he's fiercely protective of you, especially since you came back. You missed his rages."

"Rages?" Tim asked, surprised.

"Oh yeah," Dick chuckled. He pressed a kiss against Tim's forehead. "Roy would take care of you, get you to eat or sleep or whatever and then he'd come out of your room and just… go off. It's a good thing that Cory's house is well soundproofed or you'd never have gotten a wink of sleep. He never did it around Lian or Cory but the rest of us got an earful on a regular basis."

Tim nodded. He'd seen Roy get really angry before Lex took him but not since. Roy would have tried to protect Tim from his temper. That was the sort of thing he'd do. He set his head on Dick's shoulder, utterly exhausted from his panic attack.

"Why didn't you tell me about your tastes?" Tim asked after a bit.

"Um, you do remember that you were underage until fairly recently, don't you?" Dick asked with the laughter back in his voice. "Besides, you're my little brother, Tim. It's weird enough to occasionally have sex with one brother. To sit down and openly discuss my kinks with another brother seemed too weird for words. I'm fairly shameless but I'm not _that_ shameless."

Tim started giggling. He was too tired to fight the giggles off, especially as Dick started laughing too. They cuddled together on the floor of the hallway until Roy and Jason came to find them about fifteen minutes later. The expressions on Roy and Jason's faces when they found them were enough to send Tim back into a giggle fit. Dick laughed just as hard, hugging Tim tightly until the laughter passed. He gave Tim over to Roy once they stood up again.

"Good cuddles?" Roy asked. His expression was full of love for Tim.

"Mmmm, I think so," Tim said with a little grin at Dick.

"Tim gives very good cuddles," Dick declared with the biggest, brightest grin Tim had seen out of him in years. It made him feel a little better that maybe some things could be good again. Maybe they could be better than they were before, if Tim was lucky.


	15. Hugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lian brings Cory and Andrew safely home to the Manor. She then makes sure that her Daddy and Uncle Tim are okay too. Taking care of the big boys is a lot of work!

Lian held Cory's hand as they climbed the stairs into Wayne Manor. He was a little wobbly and she didn't want him to fall and get hurt. When he'd fallen in the safe room back at his house it had been kind of scary. Cory had cried and Andrew had kissed him, which was kinda gross but kinda cute at the same time. Lian didn't mind that Cory and Andrew kissed and stuff but she really didn't want to watch it, especially when she was all worried about Daddy and Uncle Tim and Uncle Dick and Uncle Jason.

But they'd been fine. Lian had protected them, not that any of the bad guys from that Luthor jerk had gotten down to the safe room. If they had, Lian would have used her arrows and shot them. Daddy had given her some really good ones with nice trick heads. She still wanted to see the explosive trap one someday. It wasn't the same watching Daddy shoot it at a dummy. Watching a bad guy get all caught in the gummy straps would have been really fun.

Funny too, especially since it would have been Lian saving the day.

Still, Daddy had saved Uncle Tim again and now Lian got to bring Cory and Andrew for a visit with Uncle Dick. She kind of hoped that they'd take the hugging and kissing and stuff to another room but Lian intended to be hugging the stuffing out of her Daddy (and maybe Uncle Tim?) so it should be okay. Maybe. She just wouldn't look.

"There we go," Lian said once they reached the top of the stairs. "Nice and safe."

"Thank you, Lian," Cory said with a big grin that wasn't the one adults made when they were humoring her. His grin was real, like he appreciated her help.

"You're welcome!" Lian said, beaming at him.

Andrew laughed behind Cory, amused in that grown up way that always annoyed Lian. She ignored it because her Daddy was running down the stairs at her.

"Lian!" Daddy said, scooping her up and twirling her around before hugging her tight. "Missed you, good girl."

"Missed you too, Daddy," Lian said into the nook of his neck.

He smelled like grilled cheese sandwiches and sweat, plus just a little bit of Uncle Tim's scent. Lian hung on tight, just like her Daddy did. She could hear Uncle Dick laughing with Cory and Andrew. The smooching noises where there so Lian didn't look up until a very gentle hand rested on her arm. When she looked up, Uncle Tim was smiling at her as if he was afraid that she'd be upset with him for touching her.

"Uncle Tim!" Lian squealed.

She squirmed until Daddy put her down and then hugged Uncle Tim so tight that he squawked and then laughed breathlessly. It felt like forever and a half since the last time Uncle Tim had hugged her so tears she didn't want to shed welled up when his arms wrapped around her. He held her like she'd break, like she was the most precious and fragile thing he'd ever touched in his entire life. Lian hugged him back hard, trying to put all her love into the hug so that he'd never, ever, ever go away again.

"Let him breathe, angel," Daddy said after a little bit. "He's turning blue."

"Ack!" Lian squawked, letting go abruptly. She looked up into Uncle Tim's eyes and huffed when she saw that he was laughing, not turning blue. "Daddy! I was trying to hug him!"

"You did a good job at that, angel," Daddy laughed. "Alfred's got lunch ready if you're hungry."

"He made blueberry scones," Uncle Tim offered.

"Eee!" Lian squealed. "I'm hungry! Let's go get something to eat."

She took Daddy's hand in her left hand and then offered her right to Uncle Tim. He hesitated for a long moment so Lian put on her very best sad puppy eyes and inched her hand a tiny bit closer to him. Uncle Dick was laughing quietly in the background with Cory but Lian ignored them so that she could focus completely on silently convincing Uncle Tim that she'd die if he didn't hold her hand.

After a second Uncle Tim laughed quietly and took her hand, squeezing her fingers gently. Lian giggled and beamed at him. Daddy and Uncle Tim made her fly up the stairs and laughed with her. Grandpa Clark and Grandpa Bruce both smiled when she came in with them. It might have been because of Lian but she wanted to believe it was because Uncle Tim was smiling again.

It had been a really long time since everyone smiled at a meal.

Alfred gave her a grilled cheese sandwich of her own, plus some homemade potato chips that were way better than anything the store had. For dessert she had one of the blueberry scones with blueberry jam and butter on it. That was messy enough that Lian had to go wash her hands afterwards.

Once she came back, Daddy was sitting on the couch with Uncle Tim. They were cuddled together with Daddy's arm around Uncle Tim's shoulders. Lian hesitated for just a second and then crawled into Uncle Tim's lap. He stiffened for a long moment but when Lian set her head on his shoulder he relaxed so completely that he nearly became a comfy Tim-shaped pillow. She giggled and hugged him.

"Missed Uncle Tim snuggles," Lian murmured to him.

Lian didn't intend to fall asleep. She wanted to hear everyone talking but she hadn't slept well over the night. The big fight and then not being able to come home right away had made it almost impossible for her to sleep. Despite being so tired, she was surprised to wake up an hour later in a quiet room.

Uncle Tim was still holding her.

Lian blinked up at him, wondering where everyone had gone. It seemed like one minute she'd been listening to the adults talking and then the next everything was quiet. Tim smiled down at her, gently moving a lock of her hair out of her eyes.

"Where'd everybody go?" Lian asked.

"You fell asleep," Uncle Tim said. His voice was nearly a whisper, which was strange compared to how he used to be.

"Awww, I wanted to listen to them," Lian pouted. "How long?"

"About an hour," Uncle Tim said.

He shifted position in such a way that Lian thought that maybe his arm and leg had fallen asleep. She moved off of his lap, giggling as he started shaking his arm and rubbing his leg. It took a minute before he stopped, so Lian figured they must have been really numb.

"Sorry," Lian said.

"It's okay," Uncle Tim said. "I could have moved but I didn't want to disturb you."

Lian snuggled back up to his side, being careful this time not to squish his arms or legs. Uncle Tim made a cute little noise that was like a smile made audible. She giggled and then sighed into his side. It was so good having him back but she missed the Uncle Tim he'd been before Lex Luthor got him.

"Cory talked to me about you," Lian confided.

"H-he did?" Uncle Tim asked. He started shivering very slightly so Lian snuggled closer still. "What did he say?"

"I was upset 'cause you wouldn't let anyone touch and I wanted to hug you to make you feel better," Lian explain. "Cory explained that that jerk Luthor made you scared of being touched because he did grow up things that you liked and mixed them in with things that you didn't like so that you wouldn't run away. He said you got really, really hurt and the hurts weren't all on the skin."

Uncle Tim had gone very still but when she looked up into his eyes he was still there listening to her. Lian snuggled back up again. When Uncle Tim wrapped his arms around her again it helped a lot.

"Did he tell you what Lex did to me?" Uncle Tim asked in a voice very much like his old self when he was trying not to get angry.

"Eeeewwww!" Lian squawked. "No! That's icky grown up stuff with kissing and stuff!"

Uncle Tim laughed and kissed to top of her head.

"Thank you," Lian giggled. "No, Cory just said that Lex was a very bad man who likes hurting people. He hurt you and he hurt Cory and he hurt Grandpa Clark. I didn't realize that at first since Grandpa Clark is so nice but when I asked _him_ about it Grandpa Clark said it was true. He didn't want to talk about it though. I think that was because I'm just a kid."

"That's not something that kids should know about," Uncle Tim said in a quiet voice that was almost Batman growly.

"Yeah," Lian agreed. "But anyway, Cory wanted me to know that it's not that you don't love us anymore. It's just that you had a hard time with touching for a long time. It is getting better isn't it?"

She turned to look up into Uncle Tim's eyes hopefully. It seemed like it was getting better. Uncle Tim had let her hug him. He'd touched her first. And he'd let Lian snuggle and held her while she slept and now he was still holding her so it really did look like he was doing better than he had been.

"Slowly," Uncle Tim said. He had a sad look in his eyes. "I'm still thinking about things and working it out."

"You do think a lot," Lian said with a little nod of understanding. "Daddy said that it's one of the cutest things about you."

Uncle Tim went bright red and laughed. He gave her another hug that Lian leaned into with a crow of joy. She'd really missed Uncle Tim hugs. Even when he'd been rescued she hadn't gotten enough hugs to make her happy. Hugs from Uncle Tim were always special. They were even more special now that Uncle Tim was back. Lian didn't think she'd ever take an Uncle Tim hug for granted.

"Why don't we go see what everyone else is doing?" Uncle Tim asked.

"Sure!" Lian said. 

She bounced a little on the couch before letting Uncle Tim pull her off and lead her away by her hand. Cory might have been right that Uncle Tim needed time before he could have hugs but Lian thought that she had been right too. 

Hugs made everything better.


	16. History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clark had been expecting to have this discussion with Tim for a long time.

Clark wasn't surprised when Tim finally sought him out that evening. Tim had been covertly watching Clark all day, ever since his cuddle-nap with Lian. Knowing that it was coming didn't help Clark's nervousness but it did let him arrange to be found in one of the smaller drawing rooms at the far end of the manor where they could be properly private for the talk that he'd been dreading ever since Lex first took Tim.

"Um…" Tim hesitated at the door as if he was afraid that Clark would order him to go away.

"Come on in," Clark said to Tim, smiling at him. "Did you have a question or something?"

Clark settled on the couch, letting Tim choose where he sat or stood. After a long moment of indecision, Tim gingerly sat on the couch next to Clark. It hurt inside to see how hesitant Tim had become. Tim had never been the most forceful of the Bat family but he'd never had this level of fear before Lex had gotten his hands on him.

"You were wearing a collar this morning," Tim said in his new too quiet voice.

"Yes," Clark said. His cheeks blazed as they always did when someone noticed his collar. "I kind of needed it this morning."

"Why?" Tim asked.

"You know Bruce and I are together," Clark said and then smiled at Tim's almost-impatient nod. "Well, he's my Dom as well as my lover. I get really flustered talking about it but that's what is. Last night all of you kids skipped dinner and Bruce needed… well, he needed to be the Dom quite badly. And this morning I needed the reassurance that he'd always take care of me. The collar helps with that."

Tim cocked his head as he thought about it. His eyes didn't have that distant look that he got when he went into a flashback and his heart wasn't pounding so Clark thought that he was simply pondering it. After a moment Tim tucked his feet up on the couch and wrapped his arms around his knees.

"How does it help?" Tim asked.

"It's got tiny slivers of kryptonite between the layers of leather," Clark explained. He laughed gently at Tim's look of complete horror. "It's not enough to hurt, just enough to reduce my powers a bit. I can't hear everything. I'm not perfectly invulnerable. And my strength is much less. It's… it's much like when I was younger, before all my powers had developed. I find it comforting to stop being the World's Strongest Man with Bruce."

"I can see that," Tim said thoughtfully. He looked out into the distance for a long moment. When he spoke again he didn't meet Clark's eyes and his heart rate picked up. "Lian said that you used to play with Lex. Lex said that too."

Clark nodded as he fought with his own issues regarding Lex. His unofficial title seemed utterly inaccurate when he thought about Lex Luthor. He felt as weak as a baby whenever Lex came up. After a long moment spent wrestling with what he felt comfortable saying and what he knew he had to say for Tim's sake, Clark sighed.

"I did," Clark said. "That was ages ago, before my powers were fully established and before Lex had become Lex Luthor, billionaire. He was just this guy I knew, my friend. It was Smallville so we didn't exactly date but we did get together a lot. I think he envied me my parents and I always enjoyed talking to him. He was really smart and he respected my intelligence. Most people back home only saw Clark Kent, the farmer's son. They never looked any deeper. Lex did."

Tim watched Clark with that too-serious expression that made Clark think he was weighing every word that Clark said. He curled a little tighter every time Clark said Lex's name. It didn't seem to be a conscious thing. Clark found it a little uncomfortable since he did the same thing instinctively unless he was in his suit.

"What changed it from friendship?" Tim asked.

"He did," Clark sighed. "He's got a pattern, you know. He's been doing the same thing for over twenty years, since before I met him, I think. He's always pushing boundaries."

Tim sat up very straight and stared at Clark with such a clear questioning look that Clark shrugged at him

"We were friends," Clark explained. "He approached me first. He sought me out. He'd ask what I was doing, make a point of including himself in things. When I was doing things with friends he didn't like, he'd pout and make it uncomfortable. Pretty soon I was doing things almost exclusively with Lex. Then he started touching. It was little things at first, a pat on the shoulder or catching my wrist to get me to pay attention to something in particular. When I stopped reacting to that the touching went farther."

Looking back it was easy to see the gradual escalation. Bruce was the first to point it out to Clark in a way that he really understood but Ma and Pa had both commented on it too. Lana had as well. At the time Clark hadn't realized what was going on and later he hadn't been able to accept that he could have stopped it sooner if only he'd held his boundaries against Lex's demands for attention.

"It became quick gropes and then one day he leaned over and kissed me so hard that I almost fell off of the couch," Clark said. "I ran away. I'd never kissed anyone but Lana at that point so Lex suddenly kissing me that way startled me to pieces. He was really apologetic the next day when we saw each other but he was still touching me. He said that he'd thought that I wanted it based on my reactions. And he was convincing enough that I actually believed that I'd been sending mixed signals by the time we were done talking."

"This is…" Tim's voice stopped working.

Tim swallowed hard that it was audible. He was shaking. So was Clark so he offered an arm to Tim so that they could cuddle. The expression on Tim's face made Clark wince.

"This is really hard for me to talk about, Tim," Clark said in a voice that shook despite his efforts to control it. "He basically raped me the next day, you see."

Tim gasped and then scooted close so that he could hug Clark while Clark wrapped his arm around the boy. He seemed a little thinner than the last time Clark had hugged him but not as bad as Clark had been afraid when he'd been rescued. The contact helped Clark calm down before he continued talking.

"I could have said no," Clark whispered into the top of Tim's head. "I should have said no. Ma and Pa were off delivering produce and Lex came over. He started apologizing again and then kissed me when I said it was okay, that he didn't have to apologize so much. He kept saying how beautiful I was and how much he cared about me. The whole time he was opening my pants and getting my clothes off. I didn't… stop him. I didn't say no. I didn't say anything."

"Why?" Tim asked. There was neither pity nor disgust in his voice. All Clark could detect was honest curiosity.

"I couldn't think," Clark admitted. "It was like my brain shut down. By the time I was able to do anything I realized that I must have been sending mixed signals. And Lex was so nice, so loving, that I just… let him do it. I don't… think that it was the first time he'd done this to someone. He knew exactly what to say to get me to submit to him."

Clark stopped as Tim hugged him tighter. He was shaking almost as badly talking about it as he had been that afternoon as he got cleaned up. Ma had realized immediately that something had happened but Clark had never to this day told her what Lex had done. Pa had seemed to realize what had happened as soon as he saw Clark but he never asked. Both of them had tried to push Lex away but Clark hadn't let them.

"He kept doing it," Clark said. "Not just the sex but pushing things. By a few weeks later he'd gotten me to let him tie me up. I could have gotten free easily. I was strong enough to break anything at that point but I didn't. I let him tie me up. I let him… fuck me."

Tim started and stared up into Clark's eyes. The shock seemed to be entirely for Clark having used the word 'fuck'. He laughed, shrugging.

"I won't call what he did to me making love or even sex," Clark said with what he hoped was a wry smile but which probably was more of a grimace. "I enjoyed some of it physically but it always made me uncomfortable. I think Lex liked making me uncomfortable sexually. Once he started experimenting with kryptonite while we had sex I realized that I had to get away."

"Did he ever ask first?" Tim asked. He was shivering so hard that Clark was worried about sending him into a flashback.

"No," Clark sighed. "Not once. He did it and then apologized if I freaked out. Well, at first he apologized. Later on he scolded me if I didn't enjoy something that he liked. And then punished me towards the end."

"How did you escape?" Tim asked as if Clark's words had just confirmed something horrible that had happened to him.

He started to explain but all that came out was slightly hysterical laughter. Tim stared up at Clark and then straddled his lap to hug Clark as tightly as he could. Clark clung to him, burying his face in Tim's shoulder until the laughter finally died out. Tears replaced the laughter. Clark was usually very good at blocking the tears from falling. This time he failed. It was the first time in years that he'd broken down this way but then Clark hadn't talked about this in years either.

"Sorry," Clark murmured into Tim's shoulder once he managed to regain control of his emotions.

"It's okay," Tim whispered. "I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it just that… I never escaped from Lex," Clark admitted. 

Clark let Tim go. Tim settled back onto Clark's knees to stare at him with fear and confusion in his eyes. They sat in silence for a long moment until Tim hesitantly took Clark's hands in his. A smile twitched its way across Clark's lips. If anyone could understand this, Tim was the one.

"I still haven't escaped from him," Clark said once his voice finally cooperated with him. "He still hunts me. He still traps me. He still molests me whenever he captures me. I'm still trapped in Lex's web. I think I always will be because I won't do what it would take to get rid of him."

"You won't kill him," Tim whispered.

"Exactly." Clark nodded and swallowed against the lump in his throat. "All these years later and I'm still trying to escape from him. I ran. He followed. I fought. He fought back. I put on the suit and became Superman. He became the Lex Luthor. It's like we're trapped in an escalating cycle that we can't escape. I know that he does things to young men that remind him of me because he knows it bothers me. He told me so once."

"It's not your fault," Tim said in a voice so much like the old Tim that Clark stared at him. "It's not! It's not your fault that he's a creep. He took advantage and did things he shouldn't have. You shouldn't blame yourself."

"You shouldn't blame yourself either," Clark said with a grin that made Tim blush. "I know. Really, I do know. It's just much easier for me to defend other people than it is to defend myself from stuff like this. So I can tell you that it's not your fault but believing it for myself is much harder."

Tim laughed and moved off of Clark's lap to settle by his side. He made a little pleased noise as Clark wrapped an arm around him. They sat together for several minutes before Tim turned and looked up at Clark.

"Bruce helped you figure out that it's okay?" Tim asked. "To play that way?"

"Yes," Clark said. "Apparently after I ran away Bruce and Lex met and were lovers for a little while. Bruce being Bruce, he was the Dom and Lex battled with him constantly. As I heard it, they got very drunk once night, had sex and then spent a month or two as battling lovers before breaking up. I literally can't imagine Bruce bottoming to anyone no matter what the situation."

Tim squeaked and then laughed. Clark laughed with him, delighted to hear Tim's laughter after so long. By the time they stopped Clark felt a lot better. He sighed as Tim pulled away and then stood up. For a long moment, Clark watched Tim watching him. There was no indication of what he was thinking in his face, heart rate or the way he held his hands loose by his sides, so the sudden hug made Clark start.

"Thank you for telling me," Tim whispered into Clark's neck. 

He let go and then ran out of the room as if afraid of what Clark might say in reply. Clark stayed where he was until Bruce came and found him about half an hour later. Bruce didn't say a word. His expression was still and serious as he held out a hand to Clark. Tears were shivering under the surface as Clark took the hand, allowing Bruce to pull him to his feet.

"You okay?" Bruce asked.

"I will be," Clark said. "Some snuggles would be nice."

"I do not _snuggle,_" Bruce said in his best 'disgusted Batman' voice.

"Okay, how about that thing where we have sex and then you wrap your arms around me and hold me for a long time while running your fingers through my hair?" Clark countered with a naughty grin.

"I think we might need the one where I spank you first," Bruce replied but his lips had curled upwards in a little smile that was the exact opposite of a smirk.

"That works too," Clark laughed.


	17. Rose Red Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a moment in time for Roy and Tim. With biting. And bondage. *grin*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an interlude in Catamite, set in the future after Tim's gotten on more emotionally stable ground. I just wanted to write some happy fic for them. :D

The mark bloomed red and angry on Tim's back. Tim bucked and whimpered, his breath stuttering in his chest. Roy smiled and blew on the mark before brushing his lips over it. He chuckled at Tim's gasp and shudder. Roy especially enjoyed the way that Tim struggled against his restraints. Red ropes crossed Tim's body, restraining his arms and legs as well as creating a visual that made Roy's pulse pound in his groin. He bit harder on the mark, pinning Tim with the weight of his body.

"Roy…!"

"Hmm?" Roy asked, nuzzling the bite mark and biting it again.

"That…" Tim's voice trailed off into a groan that sounded like it had been torn out of his chest.

"Good?" Roy asked, licking the now-larger mark and blowing again.

It sounded like Tim tried to say something but the words came out so garbled that they were unintelligible. Roy chuckled and returned to gnawing at the mark on Tim's back. Every time his teeth shut on Tim's flesh, he shuddered and pushed back into the bite. Each move was a wordless beg for more and harder. He kept biting that spot until Tim pulled away from the bite. Once that happened he moved onto another spot a few inches away, gnawing at that.

"Mine," Roy murmured as Tim's whimpers turned into needy sobs.

"Yes!" Tim gasped. "Please…"

Roy kept biting as he shifted their positions, helping Tim onto his knees with his face in the pillows. The butt plug he'd prepped Tim with came out easily and Roy took its place with a low moan of appreciation. Tim wailed and bucked back against Roy as best he could with his arms bound behind his back and his ankles tied together. He was wobbly and uncertain, which was just what Tim liked.

Roy kept his movements gentle and slow for a long while, just enjoying his boy's body. It wasn't enough to push Tim over the edge but it did a lovely job of winding him up tighter and tighter. When Tim's whimpers had turned into little grunts of frustration and he was tugging against the ropes as if he wanted to get free, Roy started moving harder and faster.

"Roy!" Tim shouted.

"Mine," Roy repeated in his best Dom voice. 

Tim wailed again at Roy's claim. His back arched so hard that his face lifted off of the sheets. That made Roy grin. He abruptly pulled Tim back into his lap, thrusting up into his boy's body while biting as hard as he dared on the fleshiest part of Tim's neck. It was no surprise when Tim clamped down and came so hard that he went limp in Roy's arms. Roy needed a couple more thrusts before he came but that was all. Seeing his Tim this way did it for him every time.

"Roy…" The word was barely more than a whisper of breath but it conveyed more love than Roy thought his heart could bear.

"Got you," Roy murmured in Tim's ear while hugging him. "Always got you."


	18. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cory was pretty sure that Tim was the strongest person he'd ever met, though Tim didn't seem to realize it. He only hoped that he could help Tim cope until he'd regained his strength, in whatever way Cory could.

Cory hummed as he carefully navigated the stairs from his and Sir Andrew's room down to the main floor. He would have preferred to have a room on the first floor but it wasn't important enough to complain. Stairs were hard but they weren't impossible anymore. Sir Andrew would have insisted on a first floor room if Cory honestly couldn't do it.

"There you go," Sir Andrew said. He had held Cory's hand all the way and now he smiled at Cory proudly. "You're doing much better."

"I know," Cory said with a huge grin at his Sir. "It's so nice. I'm glad that the surgery made such a huge difference. It was such a bother not being able to climb stairs. Do you suppose that they have elevators in the manor? I never thought to ask but I suppose that they must. Alfred has so much to clean and do that he can't afford to be carrying things up and down stairs all the time, especially at his age."

Sir Andrew chuckled while leading Cory to the breakfast room. Tim was there, curled into Roy's side while watching everyone with eyes that mapped every move that they made. Clark was there with Bruce, looking far happier than he'd been in quite a while. Jason and Dick came in at about the same time as Cory and Sir Andrew. They looked like they'd been arguing, which wasn't too surprising. Cory was always surprised when they didn't argue. Their kinks were so different that he was amazed that they managed to connect at all.

Cory said hello to everyone, claiming hugs from all of the subs, especially Clark and Tim. He firmly seated himself next to Tim and Roy, chattering happily at them about the weather, breakfast, and everything else that came to his mind. Roy looked quietly amused by his talk. Tim swayed a little at first but quickly seemed to warm up and calm down, so Cory kept at it all through breakfast. It seemed like Tim needed the talking, even if he wasn't ready to do it yet. No one else in the family seemed to be the type to talk a lot other than Lian who giggled and chatted right back with Cory about her drawings and dolls and the snowmen she wanted to make in the back yard.

Breakfast ended far too soon as far as Cory was concerned. He wasn't surprised when Sir Andrew left him with Roy and Tim. He'd said that he wanted to talk to Dick and Jason before they came down to breakfast. Tim watched them go with worry in his eyes.

"It's okay," Cory said, grinning at the wide eyes Tim turned on him. "Sir said that he wanted to talk to them. It's something about the club and some new building they wanted to do. I think he wanted to hit them up for donations."

"Oh my," Roy chuckled, "that's worth watching. Would you mind staying with Cory, Tim? I wanted to grab Bruce before he headed out."

"Um, sure," Tim said far too hesitantly.

Roy looked at him more intently and Tim breathed something that might have been a laugh if his expression hadn't been slightly spooked. He nodded for Roy to go and then blushed as Roy hugged him first. Cory smiled and let Tim lead him to the library to one of the big couches. It was comfortable in that loved old leather sort of way.

"You're doing really well," Cory said as Tim sat gingerly on the couch next to him.

"It doesn't feel like I am," Tim grumbled. "I should be doing better."

"It takes as long as it takes," Cory replied. "There's no way to know how long things will bother you or how hard it will be. Everyone's different. I'm still dealing with physical and emotional problems years later."

Tim made a face that made Cory think that he wanted to scream or cry or break something but was too afraid to do it. Rather than let Tim fall into himself, Cory reached out and touched Tim's hand with one fingertip. He started so badly that Cory winced, which made Tim wince, which made Cory start giggling and then laughing.

"Oh, oh my," Cory laughed. "We're so messed up! I'm sorry. It's not funny but it is funny at the same time. Hug? I could use a hug."

He held out his arms and looked hopefully at Tim. After a moment of obvious indecision, Tim gingerly allowed himself to be hugged. Cory didn't hold back. He clung to Tim, snuggling close with a little happy murmur of noise that made Tim's shoulders shake with silent amusement. It appeared to work because Tim relaxed by degrees until they were cuddled together on the couch as if they'd been best friends forever.

"Sorry," Tim whispered.

"For what?" Cory asked far more quietly than normal. It almost felt wrong to be loud while snuggled in Tim's arms.

"I just… I should be better than this," Tim sighed into Cory's hair. "I was Robin, did you know? I was Robin and I let Lex take it away from me. He took my freedom and the suit and very nearly my soul. I should be strong enough to get over this."

That was a bit of a surprise but it made sense of Lex's attraction to Tim. He always had been obsessed with superheroes, especially Superman. Cory had known that Clark was Superman but he hadn't thought that anyone else he knew could have been a superhero. It didn't really matter. That wasn't what Tim needed right now, not really.

"You're doing so much better than I did," Cory protested into Tim's shoulder. "I mean it, I took months to be able to get out of my room. You've only taken days, a couple of weeks. Give yourself a break, Tim. If you'd broken your legs how long would it take to get back out there?"

"Months," Tim admitted. "Probably three to six months."

"So give yourself that long before you get impatient," Cory said with an authoritative little nod against Tim's shoulder. He sighed happily. "You're comfy."

Tim laughed his silent laugh and tightened his arms around Cory's back. It felt good to get to just cuddle. Very often with his Sir cuddling was the prelude to sex or the follow-up to it. With Tim it felt like simple touch, which Cory always liked and Tim seemed to need very badly. Lex always had liked depriving his subs of physical contract with everyone else but him.

"I want to be back to normal…" Tim's words trailed off as if there was a mental 'but'.

"But?" Cory said for him when the silence stretched for at least twenty seconds too long.

"I don't think I ever will," Tim whispered. "I don't think that I could fight anymore. I tried when your house was attacked and it was so hard. I wanted to curl into a ball instead of defending the house against Mercy's men. Everything is so hard. I can't track conversations without disappearing into my head. Little things make me frightened. I don't think that I'll ever be able to do it again. I'm not sure I'll be able to go back to school."

Cory pulled back enough to meet Tim's eyes. There were tears there, along with fear that was riding the edge of a panic attack. Rather than let Tim wind himself up, Cory cupped Tim's cheeks with his hands and leaned in to kiss the very tip of Tim's nose. That made him squeak and blush, but he was grinning at the same time.

"Give yourself time," Cory said in as close to an order as he could get. "I mean it. You will be able to do it but you'll just do things differently than you did before. Lex broke something inside of you, Tim. It's like he broke bones that supported you, that let you be strong. Those bones have to heal up before you can do what you used to. They'll always be a little different than before but they'll be just as strong, maybe even stronger, as long as you give yourself time to heal. If you had a real broken bone you'd have a cast and crutches to remind you that you need to go easy. The flashbacks and panic attacks are your mind's way of saying 'too much, need to back off and rest'."

Tim stared at him for a long moment before putting his hands over Cory's. "How'd you get so wise?"

"I had my Sir and a very good counselor who didn't let me get away with lying to myself," Cory giggled. "She's wonderful. I still see her weekly. You might want to talk to her later, after you've healed up inside a bit more."

Tim pulled Cory back into another cuddle-hug, laughing his silent laugh when Cory snuggled close and made his little murmur of pleasure. It felt good to have someone to hold him without any expectation of more, though Cory was honest enough with himself to know that he did want more. Lots more, if his Sir and Roy would agree to it.

"Hey?" Cory asked after they'd been sitting together in silence for about half an hour.

"Hmm?"

"Would you want to make out with me?" Cory asked. "I mean if my Sir and your Roy agreed to it. Sir loves watching me make out with other subs."

Cory burst into giggles as Tim's cheeks went so red that he could literally feel the heat radiating off of them. Tim's pants filled out too, which was a lovely way of saying yes, not that Tim actually had said yes, of course. After a minute Tim shrugged awkwardly, but he was smiling.

"Just wondering," Cory said as he snuggled back in. "I think it might be fun if you did, but only if Sir agrees to it. And Roy. Just kissing and petting and stuff like that. Sir doesn't share me more than that. I don't feel safe with more than that."

"I… I think I'd like that," Tim whispered into Cory's hair.

Cory could feel the way Tim's lips had curved into a smile against his forehead. He giggled and nodded, settling back into their snuggle. Hopefully Sir Andrew would agree. Tim seemed to need the love and Cory really did like showing off for his Sir. Besides, Tim understood what Cory had been through, just as Cory understood what he was going through now. It would probably do them both a lot of good.


	19. Showing Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Roy and the others have to go out to deal with trouble in the Narrows, Tim stays behind with Lian, Cory and Andrew. At first, Lian sets the tone but after she goes to bed things get a good bit more interesting.

"Damn it," Roy growled as Bruce, Jason, Clark and Dick hurried out of the room.

"Roy…" 

Tim made himself shut his mouth after that single word of protest. He wasn't ready to go out and fight. There was no way that he'd be able to fight, not in the gang war that had erupted in Gotham's Narrows. One shout and he'd probably go catatonic. He'd be nothing more than a liability to the others, though the very correct warning thoughts in his head certainly didn't help him deal with the almost overwhelming need to help.

"It's okay," Roy said, turning back to take Tim's hand. "I'll be back as quick as I can."

"I know," Tim said while squaring his shoulders. "It's just… I wish I could help."

Roy's smile held so much love that it made Tim blush and look away. No matter how welcome that love was, it was hard to deal with. A strong arm wrapped around Tim and pulled him in for a quick kiss that landed off-center on one corner of his mouth. They both grinned before kissing properly. Tim pushed Roy away. Roy ran a thumb down Tim's cheek and then hurried away with a smile on his lips. Lian waved from her spot on the couch, beaming as Roy left.

"Go get 'em Daddy!" Lian cheered. She sighed once the door was shut and settled back to hug a pillow to her chest. "It'll be okay. Daddy's great. He'll stop those bad guys and be right back."

Cory's giggle from the other side of the room made Tim smile as he settled back down next to Lian. She sounded like she was trying to convince the rest of them. Tim could see the worry in her face, as well as a wish to help that mirrored his desire to help.

"They'll all be fine," Tim said. "Do you want to watch a movie while we wait? We'll let you choose."

"Yes!" Lian squealed, tackle-hugging Tim with the pillow squished between them. "I wanna watch Tinkerbelle!"

Cory erupted into peals of laughter. Andrew's whimpering groan had Lian giggling and pointing at them both. Tim shuddered ever so slightly at the pastel cover of the case but he slid the DVD into the machine and let Lian cuddle up next to him without complaint. She sang along with the show at first but as the movie progressed she started yawning. By the time it was half done she was fast asleep in Tim's lap.

"I better put her to bed," Tim murmured to Cory and Andrew.

"Can I turn it off now?" Andrew asked with a very quietly pained groan that didn't make Lian stir.

"Yes," Tim agreed as firmly as he could without waking Lian up. Tim shared a grin with Cory, who hadn't seemed to mind the movie half as much as Andrew had. Or Tim, for that matter.

He needn't have worried about waking Lian. When he got to her room, Tim couldn't wake Lian enough to get her to change into her pajamas. After a few moments trying he gave up and did it for her. She barely mumbled as he pulled her clothes off and awkwardly wrestled her into a nightgown. Once he got her changed she hugged her teddy tight and grumbled into the pillow until Tim kissed her forehead and turned off the lights.

"Mmnigh'," came from her bed as Tim closed the door.

"Night, angel," Tim murmured.

All that answered him was a little girl snore. Tim laughed quietly and slowly headed back downstairs to where Cory and Andrew were waiting. Lian woke so readily in the mornings that it was easy to forget how hard she was to wake when she fell asleep while watching TV. His heart felt unaccountably lighter, as if the weight of Lian against his side and in his arms had allowed him to let go of a little of what Lex had done to him. It was another bit of his life that he'd lost, returned to him in Lian's giggles and hugs.

"You look happy," Cory commented when Tim reentered the media room.

"I guess I am," Tim said. He smiled and sat next to Cory at the patted invitation.

"I'm glad," Cory said, hugging Tim much the way that Lian had.

Tim blushed, stomach squirming a little from the look on Andrew's face. He never had gotten around to having that conversation with Roy about making out with Cory. Roy had implied that he was fine with any sort of cuddling that Cory wanted but not knowing for sure that it would be all right made Tim nervous. It wasn't as though Roy owned him but when he was so nervous about any sort of sex it felt very wrong to even contemplate kissing anyone but Roy. Though he did have to admit that Jason kept creeping into his thoughts. And Dick. And Cory, if he was going to be honest.

It had been long enough that Tim was getting horny again, really horny. Cory squirmed closer, prompting Andrew to lay a hand on Cory's hip to stop him. Andrew's eyes were clear and kind as he watched Tim's expression. He could obviously see that Tim was uncomfortable with the snuggling but Tim thought that he could see his horniness too.

"Did you talk to Roy?" Andrew asked.

"Um, no Sir," Tim admitted.

"Awww," Cory sighed. He pulled back a little to pout at Tim. "I thought you were going to."

"I was," Tim said. "But then Lian wanted to play and everyone was there and I'm still uncomfortable talking about… that sort of thing. Especially with Lian running around."

"Well, if it was Lian," Cory said with a nod that conveyed both disappointment and understanding, "I guess that makes sense. She'd think it was _groooooooooooossssssssss_."

He said it in a voice that was a nearly perfect mimic of Lian's whine whenever something like boys kissing happened around her. Andrew burst out laughing, which made Cory giggle, which then made Tim start laughing too. He ended up cuddled with Cory, smiling into his shoulder. It felt so good to get to just touch someone, someone who understood.

"You really do look happy," Andrew commented a little bit later.

"I am," Tim whispered. 

He smiled into Cory's neck. Cory made a little noise that was a strange mixture of happiness and arousal that went straight to Tim's groin. Tim shivered as Cory's lips brushed over his forehead in something that was almost a kiss but not quite. They shifted against each other, rising arousal making it hard to stay still even though they both knew that they shouldn't do anything. His breath hitched in his chest as Cory's hand moved down Tim's back.

"You're not fooling anyone, you two," Andrew said with a throaty laugh that made Cory groan. "I don't think Roy would mind some mild petting and kissing but neither of you are taking any clothes off."

"Really Sir?" Cory squeaked, sounding utterly excited.

"It's… okay?" Tim asked, shaking a little from a combination of nerves and excitement.

"It's okay," Andrew replied. "Enjoy yourselves. That's all that I want."

He smiled at both of them, moving to the end of the couch so that they had room to do whatever they wanted. Cory beamed at Andrew before turning to very hesitantly touch his fingers to Tim's lips. It was completely different from Roy or Lex. Cory was so sweet and tender about it that it made Tim smile.

He kissed the tips of Cory's fingers, making him giggle. They leaned closer, feeling out how to arrange themselves so that it wouldn't overstress Cory's back, hips and knees. The first kiss was barely a kiss at all. It was more a brush of breath across each other's lips with the faintest hint of warmth. Tim leaned in to kiss Cory more deeply, smiling as Cory giggled into his mouth. Cory's hands were busy moving over Tim's shoulders and chest, feeling out his muscles and tracing the faint marks of his scars.

"Strong," Cory whispered. "So strong."

"Not like I used to be," Tim admitted sadly. He nuzzled Cory's ear and smiled as Cory tilted his head to the side to give Tim access to his neck.

"No biting," Andrew warned from his end of the couch. "He loves licking though."

Tim nodded and delicately traced the angle of Cory's neck with his tongue. Cory made a noise that was pure sexy mew. It made Tim grin and do it again. They slid sideways on the couch, ending up with Tim between Cory's legs. The move made them both gasp as it brought their groins into contact, with only their pants between them.

"Oh," Cory moaned.

"Wow," Tim whimpered.

They rocked against the other in a move that was completely mutual. Tim could see Andrew's face as he watched them together. He looked like this was the best thing he'd seen for a very long time. His smile made Tim blush and hide his face in Cory's neck, not that he stopped rocking against Cory's groin.

"Sir…" Cory moaned. "Feels so good."

"Good boy," Andrew crooned. "Does it feel good, Tim?"

Tim nodded desperately, licking that spot on Cory's neck that made him gasp. This was completely different from the Blackway Club's posed exhibitionism. He had known how much he liked the idea of being watched while doing sexy things but he hadn't expected it to turn him on so much to actually get to do it. Andrew's eyes were better than anything Tim might have imagined, especially with Cory whimpering and moaning underneath him. Given a tiny bit more stimulation, a simple touch or word, Tim thought he might come in his pants.

"Hey, I'm back," Roy called, startling Tim so badly he nearly jumped off of the couch and tumbled down onto the floor. "Oh wow, this is a lovely thing to come back to."

"Roy?" Tim whimpered, his heart pounding so hard that he thought it might come straight through his chest.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Roy said in his gentlest tone of voice. He came and knelt in front of Tim and the blushing Cory who'd scooted back into Andrew's arms. "I told you, anything that makes you happy is fine by me, within limits. I already know that Cory and Andrew's limits are just fine. It's all right. You can make out with Cory any time you want."

Tim shivered and then flung himself into Roy's arms, kissing him with everything he had. He could feel tears slipping down his cheeks, flavoring Roy's kisses with salt, but they were tears of joy. Roy smiled and pulled Tim fully into his lap, squeezing Tim's ass with big, strong hands that were just on the right side of painful.

"Love you so much, baby bird," Roy whispered. "My beautiful boy. Upstairs? Now?"

"Yes," Tim said. "Please."

Tim looked at Cory and Andrew, smiling at the way Cory whimpered a little plea to Andrew. Andrew laughed and nodded. He picked Cory up in his arms and stood, prompting Roy to help Tim to his feet too. Come what may, Tim decided that he'd enjoy tonight. They had Roy back far sooner than he'd expected and it was okay. Touching Cory, being watched, his desires, his needs, they were okay.

"My beautiful bird," Roy whispered as he kissed Tim again.

"Yours, always yours," Tim agreed.


	20. One Step Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy helps Tim take another step closer to recovery, this time with Cody and Andrew's help in the bedroom.

"Enjoyed that, did you?" Roy murmured as they headed upstairs with Cody and Andrew following more slowly behind them.

"It was… perfect," Tim said in a voice that was just barely above a whisper. 

From the expression on his face it was more than perfect: it was everything that he'd wanted and never gotten before in his life. Tim clung to Roy's hand as if it was a lifeline but he was smiling more than Roy had seen in a very, very long time. The expression on Tim's face made Roy's heart squeeze in his chest from sheer joy. Seeing Tim look this openly happy was a huge relief.

"What'd you like about it?" Roy asked hopefully.

Predictably, Tim blushed brightly. The manor was quiet around them with everyone other than Alfred gone. Behind them, Andrew was murmuring something to Cody who giggled at whatever Andrew said. Roy waited for Tim's answer, pausing outside of their shared bedroom. Depending on the answer he might ask Andrew and Cody to join them instead of taking Tim to bed alone.

"Being watched," Tim said in his too-quiet voice. "Getting to, to be… well, to take charge a little with Cody, I guess. Knowing I was safe, that it was okay. Just… all of it."

"I think we can do more if you want it. Do you want more play time?" Roy asked.

Tim's eyes went wide and he bit his lip while nodding so slightly that it barely made his bangs wobble. Roy pulled Tim into his arms and gently kissed him on the lips. Tim all but melted against Roy, trembling in his arms. Roy could feel Tim's erection, hard and insistent in ways that Tim no longer was. Andrew and Cody waited behind them for Tim to give them some indication of what was next. When Tim pulled back the needy expression on his face answered the question without words.

"More," Roy chuckled. 

Tim laughed his not quite silent laugh and nodded. Roy turned to Andrew and Cody. Andrew was still holding Cody in his arms, doing his best to quell Cody's excited squirming. Nothing could quiet his happy giggles. They both smiled at Tim, whose blush went up another level.

"Come on in, you two," Roy said. "I think we should continue where Cody and Tim left off."

"I think that would be quite enjoyable," Andrew said. "As you know, I don't share Cody with other dominants."

"Heh, I'm certainly not up to sharing Tim yet," Roy agreed. "But I have no problem with the two of them kissing and making out while we have sex with our boys."

"Oh my God," Tim moaned breathlessly.

He licked his lips and clung to Roy as they went into the bedroom. Behind them, Cody whimpered in Andrew's arms. The bed seemed too small for all four of them, at least until Andrew laid Cody in the middle of it and started stripping off his clothes. This time it was Cody blushing as his scars were revealed. That seemed to calm Tim's nervousness very well because he pulled off his shirt and went to pet and cuddle Cody.

Tim ran his fingers of Cody's body, tracing the scars that were the physical remnants of what Lex had done to him. Cody shivered and then ran his fingers over the scars on Tim's chest. Roy waited, watching as the two of them silently reassured each other that it was okay, that neither of them minded. Andrew slowly pulled off his clothes, stripping down to silk boxers that Cody obviously chose because they were covered with little pink hearts and tiny white elephants.

"Oh shut up," Andrew huffed at him. "They were a gift."

"I assumed so," Roy chuckled as he stripped down to his red briefs. "You don't seem the sort for pink heart and elephant undies."

Cody laughed out loud from his place on the bed. When Roy turned to look Tim was laughing silently into Cody's shoulder, his shoulder shaking with amusement. Roy climbed onto the bed and ran his hands down Tim's back, prompting a gasp and moan that made Cody shiver and look at Andrew. As Roy opened and removed Tim's pants, Andrew climbed into the bed to run his fingers down Cody's side.

"You good?" Roy asked Tim.

"Yeah," Tim nodded, watching as Andrew turned Cody over onto his back so that they could kiss. "This… this is fine. No problems at all."

He sounded surprised, as if he'd expected to have had a panic attack by this point. Roy smiled and hugged him tightly. Apparently this was different enough from what Lex had done to him that it didn't set Tim off at all. That was a huge relief for Roy who hadn't wanted to shut down their activities. Tim smiled and then turned to back to Cody and Andrew. His hips thrust in what had to be an involuntary movement of pure arousal. Andrew spotted it and let Cody go so that he could scoot closer to Tim.

"So strong," Cody said as he ran his fingers over Tim's stomach. "I like."

"Oh," Tim moaned. "Oh wow."

He pressed back against Roy for a second and then moved to gently push Cody onto his back again. Tim kissed Cody gently but thoroughly, making them both moan in arousal. Andrew grinned at Roy over their shoulders, still petting Cody's hip in a reassuring gesture that Roy copied on Tim's back. Their touch seemed to make Tim and Cody bolder in their kissing and touching.  
It was somewhat strange to see Tim being more dominant but at the same time it was incredibly reassuring. And sexy as hell. Roy felt like playing with Cody was allowing Tim to reclaim a part of himself that Lex had torn away. Tim's hand reached back over his back to clutch at Roy's arm. He tugged Roy closer.

"Want more, do you?" Roy asked with a big grin. Tim's whimpering nod made Roy and Andrew both laugh.

Roy pressed up against Tim's back at the same time that Andrew snuggled up to Cody. Tim squirmed against Roy, making his cock go from mostly hard to painfully erect in moments. Taking that squirm to mean the same thing that it used to before Lex kidnapped him, Roy pulled his shorts off and then slowly tugged Tim's underwear off as well. Andrew was doing the same for Cody and himself, leaving all of them naked together.

"Want," Cody whimpered. "Please Sir!"

"Lube?" Andrew asked.

"Just a second," Roy said.

He rolled over and delved into the bedside table for the lube that he'd been keeping but not using as Tim hadn't been ready yet. There were condoms too, which Roy offered silently. Andrew smiled his thanks but shook his head no. Roy nodded and took one for himself. He didn't know yet whether Tim would want to dispense with the condoms eventually but after everything he'd been through Roy wasn't about to change their patterns without a long discussion.

"Sir!" Cody gasped as Andrew carefully draped his leg over Tim's hip and then started lubing his ass. "Oh yes!"

"Roy," Tim whimpered. He looked over his shoulder at Roy, need shining in his eyes.

"I've got you," Roy murmured as he took the lube from Andrew and set to work doing the same for Tim.

Tim and Cody rocked against each other, panting and whimpering as Roy and Andrew made sure that they were ready. By the time Roy was satisfied that Tim was ready, his cock was aching and wet with precome. He rolled down the condom as Andrew slowly and carefully took Cody's ass. The kisses and touching between Cody and Tim continued, at least until Roy set his cock against Tim's ass.

"Yes!" Tim cried out. "Roy! Yes, please!"

"Hold still," Roy told Tim. Tim froze, panting harshly as he arched his back to give Roy better access. 

Roy slowly pushed into Tim, taking his time as this was their first time since his rescue. Beyond making sure Tim was ready, he needed to take his time. Tim felt entirely too good and the sexy little sounds he made increased in volume and pitch as Cody reached out to stroke his cock. That little touch made Tim clamp down and Roy cursed.

"Gimme a break, Cody," Roy gasped in a far too strangled voice. "Jesus!"

Cody giggled and did it again as Tim laughed his silent laugh, at least until Andrew started moving in Cody's ass again. That drove Cody against Tim's front, making Cody shudder and clutch Tim's shoulders. Roy followed suit, smiling as Tim whimpered and desperately kissed Cody.

There was no way it could last, though Roy did his best to hold on. Tim deserved a good time for this new first time, though Roy thought he deserved the best every single time. Andrew slowly sped up, licking and nuzzling Cody's neck. He seemed to find exactly the right spot because after a couple of licks Cody suddenly shouted and came so hard that Tim jolted with shock. He clamped down on Roy, thrusting back against him hard.

"Love you," Roy groaned into Tim's shoulder.

"Yes, do it, oh God Roy!" Tim panted.

Roy smiled and carefully bit Tim's shoulder as he began pounding into Tim's ass. Andrew panted and kept pace with Roy. Tim gasped and came explosively the second time Roy bit him. That bite was hard enough to leave a big mark on Tim's shoulder. The way Tim clamped down on Roy's cock made him shudder and fill the condom. From the way Andrew groaned, he came a couple of thrusts later, while Roy was shuddering through the final waves of his orgasm.

Tim sighed and tugged Roy's arm around his waist. He tangled his fingers with Cody's fingers, slowly kissing Cody as they all panted and caught their breath. Roy waited as long as he could before pulling out and dealing with the condom. Once that was taken care of he wrapped his arms around Tim and held him tight.

"Good?" Andrew asked.

"So good," Cody moaned.

"Yeah," Tim sighed happily.

"I'm glad," Roy said. He kissed the hickies on Tim's shoulder and then buried his nose in the nape of Tim's neck. "I think we have to do this again."

"Now?" Cody asked in such an eager tone that made Tim laugh his silent, shoulder shaking laugh and Andrew burst into belly laughs on the opposite side of the bed. Roy grinned at Cody and shook his head.

"I think you're going to have to give us a few minutes, Cody," Roy said. "But after that, sure. If you want, of course, Tim."

Tim pet Roy's arm around his waist. He smiled over his shoulder. It was a smile that was so much like the old Tim that Roy had to fight down tears of sheer joy. Tim turned enough so that he could kiss Roy. The kiss was 'thank you' and 'I love you' and 'don't ever leave me' mixed together with Tim's unique taste.

"I do want it," Tim whispered once they let each other's lips go. "Thank you so much for giving me all of this."

"Anything you want, Tim," Roy murmured. "Anything at all for you."


	21. Two Steps Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy goes to Jason for help when Tim starts training again and takes it way too far. Jason's more than happy to help take Tim down enough that he relaxes and lets go.

Jason sighed as he rode his bike into the garage. It sucked that he had to keep coming back to the manor every damn day but no way he was going off and doing his own thing until he was sure that Timmy was better. Or at least fairly functional. He'd gotten a lot better in the last few weeks since Lex and Mercy were arrested. He'd even gone back to training, not that Jason had been watching over that. Bruce, Roy, Dick and Alfred were more than capable of making sure that Tim didn't overdo it. Probably.

"Thank goodness," Roy said the instant Jason walked into the house. "I've been waiting for you to show up."

"Something wrong?" Jason asked.

"I think so," Roy sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck with a frustrated expression on his face, all without looking Jason in the eye.

"Timmy?"

Roy nodded and finally met Jason's eye. There was frustration, worry and fear for Tim in his eyes. Jason had a pretty good idea of what must be going on. Given that it was Timmy, he'd begun started training so hard that he was running himself into the ground and he wasn't listening to anyone as he wound himself up way too tight. If he was right, then Roy's more gentle methods weren't going to do crap to get him to let go, just like Dick needed Jason's violence when he was totally wound up.

"Where is he?" Jason asked.

"Downstairs," Roy said. "He's been training for three hours now. He trained for six yesterday, despite me and Bruce trying to pull him away."

"Way too long," Jason growled. "He's going to hurt himself."

"He snapped at Bruce when he told Tim to stop," Roy said as he followed Jason down the stairs to the cave's training area.

That in itself told Jason how bad it had gotten. Tim snapping at people wasn't too unusual, or at least it hadn't been before that asshole Lex took him, but since he'd gotten back he'd been incredibly quiet with every single dominant in the manor. Once they got down to the cave it was obvious that he was so wrapped up in blaming himself for being weak that he didn't realize how hard he was pushing himself.

"Let me stop him," Jason murmured to Roy. "Head up to your rooms and wait there."

"You sure?" Roy asked with that highly protective Dominant expression that always made Jason want to grin at him.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Jason said. "Look, you do realize he's going to need to be taken down hard, don't you? That's going to mean marks and that's going to come close to triggering the hell out of him. You going to be able to handle it?"

"As long as I'm there and we get to stop it if it's too much, yeah," Roy said. He looked grim but determined.

"Good, then get your ass upstairs," Jason said. "I'll stop this crap and bring him up, one way or the other. We'll talk and then see what we can do without setting him off."

Roy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He nodded and left Jason alone in the cave with Tim. His shoulders were so tight that he looked like he was going into battle as he left. Jason dismissed Roy from his mind. Not his problem. Besides, the best solution would be getting Tim to let the fuck go. When Jason turned around, Tim still hadn't noticed him over in the doorway. Tim's body was soaked with sweat as he worked through a kata routine that had gone sloppy as his exhaustion reached dangerous levels.

"That's enough of that," Jason drawled as he strolled into the training area. "Time to stop, Timmy."

"I'm not done yet," Tim snapped in an almost but not quite respectful tone of voice. He glared at Jason's chest instead of his face and pushed his sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes.

"Doesn't matter if you're done or not," Jason said. He deliberately pulled on his most dominant body language and hooked his thumbs through the belt loops on his jeans. "Roy wants you upstairs right the fuck now and if you don't come I've got permission to take you down and carry you up over my shoulder."

Tim froze and stared at Jason in stunned surprise. He straightened up and staggered slightly as his legs tried to give way. Jason tossed a towel at Tim and then snorted as the impact nearly knocked him over. A blush crept up Tim's neck towards his cheeks. He followed Jason almost meekly into the shower room and quickly washed his sweat off while Jason watched. 

"Come on," Jason told Tim as he delayed by taking way too long drying his hair off. "Get the lead out, Timmy. Roy's waiting."

Tim swallowed and tossed his towel into the bin for Alfred. It barely reached the bin, hanging up on the rim. Jason flipped it in and gestured for Tim to follow him. He could practically hear Tim's thoughts rampaging through his head. Once they were in the elevator Jason caught Tim's chin in his hand and made him meet Jason's eyes.

"You're thinking way too hard," Jason drawled. "I can hear the gears grinding."

"I'm fine," Tim protested with an amused little snort.

"Don't lie to me, Timmy," Jason said in his version of a Dom's warning voice while squeezing his chin. Tim's eyes went so wide that he looked years younger. "I'm serious. You're thinking way too hard and it's not good for you or Roy."

Tim opened his mouth and then shut it again. His shoulders started shaking and his pulse jumped up so fast that it looked like he'd been running a marathon, so Jason let his chin go. He noted the response to the grip on his chin as a possible trigger. This was going to be really tricky but Jason had some ideas on how to make it work. The ding of the elevator made Tim jump. He rubbed his hands over his face but followed Jason without comment. Jason could hear his breath catching as Tim worked not to have a panic attack.

"All right," Jason said as he paused outside their bedroom door. "Roy's going to talk to you and then we're going to talk, Timmy. This has to stop. Got no problem with you training again but none of us are going to let you hurt yourself."

"I'm…" Tim's voice trailed off before he said 'fine'.

"No, you're really not," Jason said. "Go on, get in there."

He held the door and Tim entered the suite as if he was going to his execution. Roy was sitting on the bed with his elbows on his knees as he waited for them. During the delay he'd obviously managed to calm down. His shoulders weren't as tight and he'd managed to put a mildly worried expression on his face.

"I…"

"No, let me talk first, please," Roy said. 

It was one of the best Dom voices Jason had heard out of him yet and Jason had to duck his head to hide a grin. Roy wouldn't appreciate hearing that Jason thought it was cute when he got all dominant. He stationed himself against the opposite wall, arms crossed on his chest, so that he wouldn't distract Tim from Roy.

"Sorry," Tim whispered.

"I know," Roy said. He took Tim's hand, drawing him over to sit on the bed next to Roy. "Look, I'm glad that you're training again. That's wonderful and I heartily approve. But you're getting way too intense with it. It's too soon for you to be training that hard."

Tim winced, his face going black with disappointment in himself.

"None of that," Roy said. He tried to draw Tim's face around so that he'd look in Roy's eyes but Tim resisted.

"Stop it," Jason snapped from his spot on the opposite wall.

Tim started and stared at Jason and then looked at Roy with wide eyes.

"You're too wound up, Timmy," Jason said. "That's what he's saying."

"I… I need…"

"You need to let go," Roy said to Tim. "No one can do it all, Tim. You're trying too hard and you're going to hurt yourself."

Jason could see that the words didn't get through to Tim. The frustration was too strong for him to hear what Roy was actually saying. A bitter laugh bubbled up. Jason let it loose, knowing that it would shock Tim into listening again. It shocked Roy too, making him glare at Jason as ferociously as anyone had ever glared at him.

"He's not hearing you," Jason said with his best smirk. "You're speaking words and they're going in his ears but they're not being understood correctly, Roy."

"You're sure?" Roy asked, blinking at Jason in surprise.

"Hell, yes," Jason said. "Fuck, I know that one way better than you. I lived it for years."

"I'm not crazy," Tim declared almost fiercely enough to be believed.

"Didn't say you were," Jason told him. "Just said that you're not hearing what Roy's saying."

Tim frowned at him and then turned to look at Roy. The question was clear on his face. Roy pet his cheek with such a sad expression that Tim's breath caught in his chest. He hugged Roy, clinging to him as if the hug would make everything better. Jason sighed and shook his head at Roy who nodded and gently pushed Tim away.

"What did Roy say to you?" Jason asked Tim in his 'don't quibble, just answer the fucking question' voice.

"Uh, that I need to be more careful about my training," Tim said after a moment's hesitation.

"No, he didn't," Jason contradicted him. "He said that you need to let go and let other people help you."

Roy nodded agreement with Jason's words, which rocked Tim back a little bit. He opened his mouth and then shut it again, seeming to close in on himself and shrink several sizes. Jason stomped his foot, startling both of them again.

"You need to let go," Jason said, enunciating every single word. "We're not going to let you take two steps back. Roy's too gentle for how wound up you are. That's why I'm here."

Tim's pupils blew out for a moment and then he moaned, leaning into Roy's side as if terrified. Given that Jason could see his pulse at his throat and temple and that he was shaking like a leaf, Jason was pretty sure that he was on the verge of a panic attack again. Jason waited while Roy comforted Tim. A couple of very long minutes later Tim sighed and his shoulders slumped.

"Full blown panic attack or just fighting one?" Jason asked.

"Jason," Roy said warningly.

"Hey, I need to know or I can't tell how far is too far," Jason growled at him.

"Fighting it," Tim whispered. "What are you going to do?"

"That's up to you and Roy," Jason said. "Roy's got some pretty strict limits of what he'll allow but he'll stretch them for you. I've got triggers of my own so some of what you want might not be things that I can do."

"You…?" Tim asked, startled out of his mood again. "You have triggers?"

"Triggers and my own version of your panic attacks, though its more a matter of going into a blind killing rage, but yeah," Jason said. "You know I'm fucked in the head, Timmy. Certain things set me off and I have to be careful about it. Some 'play' is too close to shit that happened to me, especially when I'm subbing."

Roy and Tim both stared at Jason with their jaws dropped open. Jason laughed at them, absurdly tickled by their shock that he'd ever have subbed to anyone. By the time his laughter stopped Roy had an annoyed expression and Tim looked like he was actually thinking for the first time in who the fuck knew how long.

"Talia?" Tim asked.

"Yup," Jason said, nodding. "Did me a world of good, even though I resented subbing to her at first. Did help me get over a lot of shit I had built up. There's nothing like letting go and letting someone you care about take care of everything for you."

"Care about," Tim murmured. His eyes went thoughtful, not distant or frantic. After a moment he nodded. "Now what?"

"What did Lex do to you?" Jason asked. "No details, just the sorts of things that he did. Not going to do any of that this time around, not until you've gotten a lot more stable."

Roy looked like he wanted to put a stop to it right then but Timmy nodded slowly and bit his lip as he slowly waved one hand as if he was thinking about what to say or how to say it. Jason gave him the time he needed to formulate his thoughts. Rushing him certainly wouldn't do any good, not when he was already on the edge because of the situation.

"Lots of bondage with ropes and cuffs," Tim said thoughtfully. "He liked controlling what I ate and where I went. And he really liked beating me, usually with hard leather flogger or a whip. And biting. Lots of biting."

"Thought you liked biting," Roy commented.

"Oh, I do," Tim admitted with a little shy shrug and smile. "It's different with you than with Lex."

"Well, I hate bondage gear," Jason said, "and Roy's already ruled out a beating or a whip. I'm not likely to try and feed you while we're fucking. Biting's something you can get from Roy, as far as I'm concerned so we should be pretty much okay."

This time it was Roy giving him a weird look. Jason raised an eyebrow at him, letting Roy say whatever was on his mind though he was pretty sure he knew what it was. He'd already seen Jason use cuffs on Dick, so Jason's dislike probably didn't make much sense.

"You hate bondage gear?" Roy asked finally.

"Leaves marks," Jason said with a shrug. "If there're going to be marks I want to put them there. Dick likes bondage, likes being fully restrained but he always struggles and gets a ton of marks from the bondage gear. Personally, I prefer ordering the sub to stay still and then pushing them until they can't do it anymore. Amazing sometimes what they can do. Internal versus external control."

Timmy shuddered and his pupils blew out at the idea. Jason chuckled and grinned at him, as did Roy. As far as he was concerned they had a winner, especially since Jason was pretty sure that a combination of a spanking that pushed Timmy to his limits followed by some rough sex with both of them would give Timmy what he needed.

"Okay," Jason said in his most dominant voice, "this is what we're going to do. You're stripping, Timmy. Roy's staying right here and watching as I work with you. We're going with a spanking and then I fuck your ass while Roy fucks your mouth."

"Only a spanking?" Roy asked. His tone was dry but his pants tented out enough that Jason knew he was just trying to save face.

"My spankings leave bruises," Jason said smugly. "Timmy will be feeling it for days."

Timmy moaned. He licked his lips and looked to Roy with a desperate expression that begged for Roy to say yes. Roy laughed quietly and kissed Tim so tenderly that it kind of turned Jason's stomach. Tenderness was the last thing he wanted at this stage of things. Afterwards was fine but not now, not while he was trying to get into the groove.

"Of course it's okay," Roy said with a little smirk that was nearly as good as Jason's. "That's why we're here."

"Safe word?" Jason asked.

Timmy stood up and when he smiled there wasn't one bit of humor in it. "Mercy."

"Okay, if you're thinking about that bitch while we're doing things then there's no fucking way we should be playing," Jason said with a shudder.

"Exactly," Tim said in a precise tone that was all the old Tim and none of the new. 

He took a deep breath and stood, looking first to Roy as was proper and then to Jason when Roy nodded approval. Jason shivered as Timmy slowly stripped off his clothes. The kid was still way too sexy for his own good, in that completely unaware of it way of his. Once Timmy was naked and his clothes had been neatly folded and put on the dresser, Jason stood away from the wall and walked over to look down at Tim. Timmy's cock was getting hard, though it wasn't fully erect by a long shot.

Just the gaze seemed to push Timmy deeper into himself, though Jason could still see him thinking about what was going to happen. Jason waited until Timmy started shivering slightly and then put a hand on his shoulder, pushing down with just enough pressure that he had to kneel. Timmy didn't go gracefully but he went, biting his lip once he settled to his knees.

Jason moved to the dresser and slowly pulled his jacket off and then took off the shirt. Roy raised an eyebrow to ask if he should strip too. As he was still in Timmy's range of vision, Jason shook his head no with the smallest gesture possible. For now he wanted Timmy focused on him, not Roy. Roy's part would come in later, once Timmy had let go. 

The slow removal of his clothes gave Timmy the time to settle, not that he did. When Jason turned back to Timmy he was even tighter than before. He looked like he was going to vibrate himself into little pieces. Jason snorted and stalked over to catch Timmy's chin. It was definitely a bad gesture as Timmy's heart rate leaped again, so Jason let him go and gestured for Timmy to stand back up.

"Trained way too long, didn't you?" Jason said once Timmy managed to lever himself to his feet. "No leaning against the wall for you today. Move over Roy. We're going to need the bed."

"Not sure how you'd manage to spank him up against the wall," Roy commented as he moved to stand at the head of the bed.

"Oh that's easy," Jason drawled while sitting on the edge of the bed. "Spread eagle, bent over at the waist a bit more than normal, say at about eighty-five degrees, and then stand to the right or left side of the sub, depending on which hand is dominant. You can put your hand on their back to keep them from moving. Works really well but Timmy's legs are too wobbly for that tonight. Maybe another time."

From the way Timmy whined there was definitely going to be another night when he hadn't trained so hard that he was falling down. Jason gestured for Tim to come over and stand in front of him. He started when Jason pulled him down over his thighs but stilled beautifully when Jason gripped the back of his neck. It wasn't a tight grip, of course, just one that kept Timmy still. Jason made sure Timmy was stable, that his cock was safely away from danger and that Roy wasn't going to freak out at the first blow. 

Of course, the first blow wasn't a blow at all. It was a caress from Tim's shoulders down to the backs of his thighs that let Jason feel the tightness of his body and scope out the scars covering Timmy's body. There weren't any in the target region that felt dangerous, though Lex had left a lot of fucking scars over the backs of Tim's thighs with his damned whippings. Jason nodded that he'd leave that area alone and then took a deep breath to let it out slowly.

"You're to count each blow," Jason ordered, "Out loud and clearly or I won't count that as one of the blows. We're going to go with twenty-five to start. If we need more, then I'll say so. You got that? Repeat it back to me, Timmy."

"Twenty-five blows to start," Timmy said in a much louder than normal voice. Roy beamed at hearing it, not that Timmy saw it as his forehead was down on his arms. "Speak loudly and clearly or the blow doesn't count and it gets repeated."

"Good," Jason purred.

He ran his hand over Timmy's ass again and then nodded to Roy.

The first blow was hard enough that Timmy nearly started out of Jason's lap. If it hadn't been for Jason's grip on his neck and Roy standing right there, Jason thought Timmy might have been across the room or maybe out into the hallway. A clear handprint bloomed on Timmy's ass.

"Count," Jason snapped at Timmy.

"O-one," Timmy panted. He shuddered and settled down again on Jason's lap, this time with his eyes wide open and locked on Roy who didn't smile. He kept a calm, blank expression as Jason brought his hand down in the exact same spot. "Two!"

That time the number came out strangled and pained. Jason added blows to Timmy's ass, leaving a good four to five seconds between them for the first ten. By eight Timmy had tears in his eyes and he squirmed between blows because Jason hadn't changed the location of his blows yet. On ten, Jason switched to Timmy's other cheek because he'd relaxed into the blows for nine and ten.

'Eleven' came out strangled again. 'Twelve' had more of a moan to it. 'Thirteen' and 'fourteen' moved into panting, which made Roy lick his lips and shudder. Jason added more force for the next few blows, driving Timmy further into his mind and further away from his worries. By 'twenty' Jason was pretty sure that Timmy would have cried if he'd stopped.

So he stopped, letting a full fifteen seconds go by. Timmy whimpered and squirmed on Jason's lap as the delay stretched. When Jason rested his hand on his back, Timmy moaned so loudly that both Jason and Roy grinned at him. Jason nodded and ran his hand over Timmy's ass. It was radiating heat and the bruises were already starting to bloom. They were perfectly placed so that Timmy would feel it every time he sat down. His jeans were going to be murder for the next few days.

"Please," Timmy whimpered in much too quiet a tone of voice for Jason.

"Please what?" Jason asked.

"More." The word was a whisper so Jason pulled his hand away from Timmy's ass, grinning at the way he quivered.

"Speak up," Jason ordered. "Don't speak up and you don't get anything else."

"More!" Tim said in the loudest, clearest voice that Jason had heard from him since Lex's kidnapping.

"Much better," Jason said approvingly. "That's what I like. I want to hear you, Timmy. Let me hear what you think of this."

Jason always made Dick be quiet because he was normally seriously vocal. Tim was the opposite so he decided that he'd make Timmy be loud. Might not be natural to him anymore but that didn't mean that he couldn't get his voice back, one way or another. The little whimpers changed to loud gasps and moans as Jason ran his hand over Tim's glowing ass.

"What's our count?" Jason asked in his Dom voice.

Before Timmy could do more than draw in a breath he brought his hand down hard on Timmy's ass. This time Timmy shouted 'twenty-one' and shuddered so hard that Jason almost expected to feel him coming against his thigh. He made the next four blows as hard as possible, rocking Timmy forward and then pushing him back into place with his other hand. After number twenty-five Jason looked at Roy and then gave Tim one last whack.

"Ahh!" Tim gasped. He didn't protest, in fact he arched his back as if wanting more.

"That's our boy," Jason chuckled. "Always pushing for more."

"Time for something else," Roy said.

He stripped his clothes off quickly, exposing a cock that looked like it ached it was so hard. Timmy shuddered and shifted slightly on Jason's knees. Jason held him in place as Roy stalked over and pulled Timmy onto the bed. When Timmy's ass contact the bed he jolted as if he'd touched a live wire. Jason stripped his pants off and caught the condom that Roy tossed his way.

"Still doing good?" Jason asked Timmy.

"Yes," Timmy groaned just loudly enough not to get another swat.

Jason let Roy take care of the lube. Roy started out gently but really quickly Timmy was pushing back against him hard so Roy upped the intensity and the number of fingers. Jason nudged him towards Timmy's mouth and flipped Tim onto his hands and knees right in front of Roy's cock. Timmy let out a long, drawn-out moan and stared at Roy's cock as if it was the best thing he'd ever seen.

When Jason ran his hands over Timmy's ass, he gasped and blushed from his toes up to his hairline. Jason dug his thumbs into the sore spots on Timmy's ass, earning a shudder that made Roy groan. It looked to Jason like Roy was finally getting a clue that Timmy needed a lot heavier play than he'd been getting, which was good as far as Jason was concerned.

"Brace yourself," Jason ordered. "We're going to fuck you until you can't think, Timmy."

"Yes, please!" Timmy moaned. "Please!"

"Tim…" Roy moaned.

He offered his cock to Timmy who sucked it into his mouth with a moan of happiness. Jason waited until Timmy was fully involved with sucking Roy's cock and then pushed hard into his ass. He didn't give Timmy a chance to get used to the intrusion. Roy had used so much lube that there really wasn't much need, especially given the way that Timmy gasped around Roy's cock. He sounded like he was in heaven.

"Yeah, likes this," Jason said and grinned at Roy. "Likes being taken hard."

"He always has," Roy chuckled. "Didn't think he liked it this hard, though."

"Oh yeah, he does," Jason laughed. "He loves getting taken hard."

Timmy nodded around Roy's cock and clamped down hard on Jason's cock. Jason rewarded him by fucking him as hard as he could. There would be bruises on his hips from Jason's grip, which would be another reminder to keep Timmy from getting lost in his head over the next few days.

There was no way that they could make it last as long as Jason would like. Timmy'd pushed himself way too fucking hard training for him to last. Jason could already see him tiring so he reached underneath Timmy and gripped his cock just a hair too tight. Three strokes later Timmy came so hard that his arms gave out underneath him, popping Roy's cock out of his mouth.

"Yeah, that's our boy," Jason growled. 

He pounded into Timmy, taking him hard and fast for a dozen strokes or so. That was all it took for Jason to come. Timmy shouted as Jason held him down while coming, which apparently was all it took for Roy to come all over his face. The feel of that seemed to nearly make Timmy come again, not that his cock was up to it yet. He shuddered like he was coming though, moaning so loudly that Jason was sure that everyone in wing could hear what they were doing.

Jason pulled out and let Roy haul Timmy into his arms. It took a good long time before Timmy looked like he was more than semi-aware, which was just what Jason had been going for. He took care of the condom and pulled his clothes back on slowly, watching Roy taking care of his boy. 

It looked good. Timmy finally seemed relaxed. In fact, he looked damned near boneless draped over Roy's chest. Jason smiled at them both before he headed for the door. Roy looked at Jason with a questioning look in his eyes.

"You okay?" Roy asked.

"I'm fine," Jason said with his best smirk. "Just thinking about how much fun it would have been if Timmy hadn't exhausted himself."

Roy groaned and hugged Timmy tight enough to make him protest wordlessly. Timmy blinked at Roy and then actually opened his eyes when he realized that Jason was leaving. He shifted a little so that he could look at Jason hopefully but his arms shook from trying to hold himself up. Jason snorted at him and shook his head at Timmy.

"Next time, kiddo," Jason said with a wicked grin. "But only if you don't overdo it. Train too hard and I'll make you wait until the next day for another round."

"Now that might work to keep him from working too hard," Roy chuckled.

"Strict," Timmy grumbled at Jason but there was no fire in the words. He smiled shyly at Jason and then settled back down on Roy's chest.

"Damn straight," Jason murmured as he left and shut the door to give Timmy and Roy their privacy.

He headed back downstairs to hit the kitchen for something to eat. No one was there. Jason was kind of relieved about that. The scene hadn't been very heavy but for a first scene it had been pretty good. There were a ton of issues that Timmy had to deal with but Jason thought that given time and some good take downs over the next few months, plus everyone's support, he'd probably be okay.

"Hope that we can get a heavier round in soon," Jason murmured as he put his dishes in the dishwasher. "I think Timmy might be one hell of a lot of fun once he calms down."

He headed off to bed, humming under his breath. Short and sweet as the scene had been, it still had been a good time, with the promise of more to come.


	22. Catharsis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian returns from his visit to see his mother and discovers that Timothy has returned. Between dodging Lian's attempts to play Damian does his best to help Timothy recover something of his former self.

Damian left Alfred in the kitchen with his luggage and set out into the manor to locate his father. There was no reason at all why he should have been picked up by a mere servant, no matter how senior that servant was, when his father was at home and available. Alfred's explanation that there were important matters at home that could not be left untended was far less than satisfactory given that Alfred had stated that it was not a Batman matter. 

It was immediately apparent that the 'important matter' was nothing more than some unpleasant and unnecessary guests cluttering up the Manor. He found everyone, including a rather damaged looking Timothy Drake, in the library.

"Hey D," Jason called from his place lurking by the fireplace.

He had on his watchful mannerisms, the ones that reminded Damian of his mother and her penchant for so carefully observing and then influencing the people around her. It only took a moment for Damian to realize that his focus was almost entirely on Roy Harper and Timothy. Everyone, other than the rather odious young man with blond hair that shared Timothy's damaged behavior, was watching Timothy as well. The blond was watching Damian as if afraid he would bite.

"Welcome home," Bruce said.

"Thank you, Father," Damian said. He looked at the guests with blatant distaste. "I believe I will go to my room and put my things away. I presume the… intruders will be leaving promptly?"

"Damian," Clark sighed.

"Oh no," the young blond man said cheerfully despite the rather nervous twist of his fingers in his shirt. "We were planning on staying for another week or so. Maybe more."

"Ttch." 

Damian clucked his tongue and then sauntered out. His eyes narrowed at the way Timothy glared and then ducked his head as if he was ashamed of having gotten angry with Damian for his treatment of the stranger. Getting further information about the guests (Andrew and Cody), discovering that Lian was visiting as well (highly alarming given her taste for pink and tea parties), and finding that Timothy had begun to train but was treating himself far too harshly was simple enough. Alfred was always an excellent source of information, if one could read between the lines of his rather sparse statements as Damian could.

Between dodging Lian's determined efforts to draw Damian into tea parties and archery practice, Damian observed how the other occupants of the Manor were reacting to Timothy's return. It rather appalled him how they treated Timothy. As little as he liked his putative older brother Timothy was anything but fragile.

Certainly, Lex had damaged Timothy rather severely. Damian could see a seven percent decrease in his strength, coupled with a three percent decrease in his upper body flexibility. That was balanced rather nicely by the new skills that he'd learned plus a solid four percent increase in his striking speed. The physical changes were not as troubling as the obvious emotional damage that Lex had inflicted on Timothy.

There was a drastic change to Timothy's behavior. The confidence and intelligence that had defined him before were beaten down, replaced by hesitation, doubt and self-blame that Damian found quite annoying. It irritated him to see Timothy blaming himself for what had happened to him. By two nights later (after one highly frustrating 'tea party' that resulted in mass destruction of Lian's room, a beheaded stuffed bunny, screaming fits on both their parts and Alfred forcibly restraining Damian from murdering Lian), Damian was fairly certain that none of the others were going to do anything decisive about Timothy's tendency for blaming himself whenever he got angry.

It was rather appalling how easy it was to arrange to get Timothy into one of the smaller drawing rooms at the far end of the manor while Roy and the others were occupied with the guests (and Lian) at the other end. Damian ghosted away from them and observed Timothy quietly reading in the drawing room as he waited for Roy to arrive.

"Ttch." Damian deliberately clucked his tongue more loudly as normal when he opened the door to the drawing room and put as much derision into his voice and posture as possible. "I hadn't realized that you were here. Pity. Attempt not to dissolve into a whiney, pathetic mess while I'm here. It's quite irritating."

"What?" Timothy snapped, glaring almost like his old self over the top of his book.

Damian sauntered over to the bookshelf and ignored Timothy entirely while perusing the books as if looking for a particular one. Timothy growled very quietly and raised his book to block Damian out. It was a study on Gotham's early history, with highly useful information about the tunnels and old buildings left in the worst part of town.

"Hmph, I should have known that you had the book I need," Damian said, attempting to tug the book out of Timothy's hand.

"I'm reading that!" Timothy snapped while clinging to the book.

"As if it would be of any use for you," Damian said with carefully calculated cruelty. He aimed for his grandfather's casually cutting tone of voice and got rather close to it despite lacking sufficient depth in his voice. "It's not as though you actually read these anymore. You only use them as shields to keep from dealing with the world."

Pure rage swept across Timothy's face, this time without the shame and self-blame that had marked his earlier responses to Damian's verbal jabs. He jerked the book out of Damian's hands and stood so that he could glare down at Damian. The book shook slightly in his hands, a fact that Timothy seemed to be unaware of. Damian didn't allow his face to show his approval of the reaction. Instead he snorted and glared back up at Timothy.

"Get out," Timothy declared. His finger shook when he pointed at the door.

"You're shaking," Damian snapped. "I knew that you were useless. I wouldn't have expected you to show it so openly."

"You…!" Timothy's voice cut off on him as what had to be a flashback swept over him.

Damian deliberately snatched the book out of Timothy's hand, clucking his tongue again. The action snapped Timothy past the flashback, derailing it entirely. To Damian's inner amusement, Timothy wrestled with Damian until he got the book back. Rather than let him have it easily, Damian used several dirty tricks that he'd learned from his grandfather to make Timothy work for it. Timothy countered with some quite brilliant dirty tricks of his own.

It was rather amusing to see that the skills he'd learned in the League for dealing with traumatized assassins who had been captured and tortured worked so well with Timothy as well. Damian allowed himself to sound childish and annoyed as they squabbled, as if he hadn't he would have had to laugh at Timothy's fierce anger. That the anger was directed wholly at Damian didn't bother him in the slightest. At this stage in Timothy's recovery having someone to direct that anger at beside himself was quite necessary.

"Ha!" Damian crowed as he finally snatched the book out of Timothy's hands and danced out of range.

"Give that back," Timothy growled in a voice that sounded as though nothing had ever happened to him. His body language was so close to his previous norm that only the slight differences in posture due to his injuries showed that he had been taken.

"No," Damian said smugly. "I need it. You can use a different book to shield yourself from your post traumatic stress disorder."

"I don't have PTSD," Timothy said so quickly that the words were an obvious denial.

Damian clucked his tongue at Timothy and deliberately sauntered out of the room with the book. He paused at the door and looked back at Timothy with as provokingly smug and superior an expression as he could manage. Rage once again swept over Timothy's face and he clenched his hands into fists that shook for good reasons rather than because he was having a flashback.

"Denial is such an ugly thing," Damian sighed. "I should have known that you'd be indulging it to the highest level possible."

He left, chuckling quietly at the cursing that echoed out into the hallway. From the sound of it, Roy was going to get quite an earful when he located Timothy. Damian found a quiet, out of the way room and settled in to read the book. It was useful and he had been meaning to study the eighth chapter for quite some time, after all. This made an opportune occasion to do it. Several hours later, Roy poked his head into the room. Damian glared at him and then went back to the notes he'd been making.

"What did you do?" Roy asked in far too warm and approving a tone of voice.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Damian said in his flattest tone, without meeting his eyes. "The bunny was like that when I got there and that daughter of yours should know by now that I will not pretend to drink imaginary tea just to make her happy."

Roy blinked, shook his head as if to clear it and then tried again. "I meant with Tim. You had some sort of argument with him and now he's… he's _yelling,_ Damian. We can barely get him to speak above a whisper and you got him yelling."

"Ttch." Damian clucked his tongue and glared at Roy. "I still fail to understand what you're talking about. He had a book that I wanted to read. I took it. His issues with the interaction are entirely his. Leave. I'm still working and you're interrupting."

Roy stiffened and glared at Damian. His shoulders squared and his jaw clenched as if he was contemplating putting Damian over his knees and spanking him quite soundly. Damian glared back, imagining all the ways that he could kill Roy before he took two steps. As always, the change of posture and expression worked well to get Roy to back off. He glared and then threw up his hands.

"Fine," Roy snapped. "Whatever. I was going to say thank you but apparently it was an accident."

Damian snorted and ostentatiously returned to his note taking. Roy stomped out and slammed the door. Once Damian was sure that Roy was gone he chuckled and stretched. It would hardly do for the others to realize that Damian was quite skilled at manipulating them. Alfred was the only one currently aware of it and Damian wanted to keep it that way. He certainly had no intention of allowing the others to believe that he was helpful or sympathetic.

After all, that would likely lead to more tea parties with Lian.


	23. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't that Lian was unaware that she was going to get in more trouble than she had since the never-forgotten-and-frequently-repeated-while-Daddy-laughed-himself-sick peanut butter in the dryer incident. She knew. She knew perfectly well. But Mr. Bun-Bun needed justice and Damian _soooo_ had it coming to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lian was so much fun to write that I had to give her a chapter of her own. XD

It wasn't that Lian was unaware that she was going to get in more trouble than she had since the never-forgotten-and-frequently-repeated-while-Daddy-laughed-himself-sick peanut butter in the dryer incident. She knew. She knew perfectly well. 

But Mr. Bun-Bun needed justice and Damian _soooo_ had it coming to him.

Daddy had told her that she shouldn't fall to Damian's level, especially after Alfred had to separate her and Damian. She'd cried and showed Daddy Mr. Bun-Bun's head, the stuffing dripping sadly out of its neck as if it was blood. Daddy had hugged her and said that it was very sad. He promised to get her another bunny.

Lian didn't want another bunny. No other bunny could be Mr. Bun-Bun. Grandpa Clark had given her Mr. Bun-Bun and she'd always cherished him. There had been tea parties and fluffy dresses and she slept every night with Mr. Bun-Bun. He had been the favoritest of all of her toys.

No, what Lian wanted was justice. Damian hated pink and fluffy things so she'd make him endure the pink that he hated. If she could, she'd coat him in fluffy pink fur but she couldn't figure out how to do that, as funny as the idea of Damian in a fluffy pink bunny suit was. A bunny suit wouldn't work but pink paint was totally doable.

Damian was being a big jerk anyway, making Uncle Tim yell and rant about how Damian should have been drowned at birth. Uncle Dick was snickering at that so it couldn't be that bad, no matter how it sounded. Uncle Jason looked like he was taking notes on Uncle Tim's cursing. Lian waited until everyone else was busy trying to calm Uncle Tim down the way they'd calmed her down and then slipped out of the room.

Her trick arrows weren't as fun as Daddy's. There was no way that she could draw one Daddy's arrows, but that didn't stop her from taking the head off of one of his trick arrows and using it on one of her arrows. It'd be tip heavy but all Lian cared was that she had enough distance to outrun Damian once she let fly. He'd be really angry, after all, just like Lian was now.

It took her three days of careful work to get the arrowhead off without Daddy noticing and then to put it on one of her arrows. She'd replaced the central capsule so that instead of firing a tear gas charge, she'd be spraying Damian with paint. Finding the pink paint had been easy. All that she'd had to do was tell Alfred that she wanted to paint her room pink, pretty bright pink. It needed to be repainted after all the damage that Damian did to the walls during the ruined tea party. Sneaking a little bit out of the can for the arrow was easy.

Lian waited another day and watched what Damian did. He was deliberately being mean to Uncle Tim and making him bristle and yell. It was kind of nice to hear Uncle Tim yelling but Lian didn't think that it was the right sort of yelling. Uncle Tim always ended up more shaken than when he'd started instead of looking like he felt better for the yelling the way Grandpa Bruce or Uncle Jason did when they yelled.

When Uncle Tim and Daddy went outside to escape Damian, Lian wasn't surprised that Damian followed them. He was still being a big old meanie to Uncle Tim. Lian ran upstairs to her room and grabbed her special pink paint arrow and her bow. By the time she got to the perfect window and had a chair in place so that she could fire down at Damian, Daddy and Uncle Tim were headed back inside. Daddy was furious. Uncle Tim was shaking but his expression was just as angry as Daddy's.

Damian watched them go with a smug expression on his face. Lian glared and dialed her arrow's proximity fuse so that it would go off before he could attack it but not so far that he wouldn't get painted pink. He spotted her in the window; alarm and something like shock showed on his face as she aimed her arrow at him.

"This is for Mr. Bun-Bun," Lian said even though she knew he couldn't hear him.

She let go and the arrow flew just like she'd expected. Damian hadn't moved because he'd seen that she had been aiming high. He obviously thought that she'd miss him. Her arrow flew low, dragged down by the heavy canister of thick pink paint at the tip. Lian saw exactly the moment when Damian realized that he'd miscalculated. If he'd run away immediately he would have been safe but her arrow exploded just as he whirled to get out of range.

It was awesome!

The paint exploded and covered his head and shoulders in pink. Stripes of pink paint dripped down his chest, arms and thighs. Lian crowed as Damian bellowed something in Arabic that she knew little boys shouldn't say. Lian ran as fast as she could out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen where Daddy, Uncle Tim and Grandpa Clark were talking to Alfred. She could hear Damian yelling behind her. His shouts were joined by Uncle Jason's laughter. Cody giggled so hard that Andrew had to be holding him up and Dick squawked with dismay. Daddy stared at her when she ran in with her bow, frowning.

"Daddy!" Lian gasped, dodging behind him and Uncle Tim so that Damian couldn't get at her.

"What did you do, young lady?" Daddy sighed.

"_You!_" 

Damian appeared at the kitchen door. There were four stripes through the paint on his face, as if Damian had clawed at it to try and get it off. Grandpa Clark clapped a hand over his mouth. It didn't do a thing to stifle his laughter. Uncle Tim put his hand on Lian's shoulder. When she looked up at him, he was smirking as if he approved of what she'd done.

"You are so grounded, young lady," Daddy groaned.

"She is dead!" Damian yelled.

"You killed Mr. Bun-Bun!" Lian shouted at him. "You killed Grandpa Clark's special present to me for my birthday! He needed justice! Serves you right, you big meanie!"

Dick grabbed Damian from behind before he could lunge at Lian. Grandpa Clark's laughter was joined by Uncle Jason's, and then by Grandpa Bruce's quiet laughter. Their laughter didn't do a thing to drown out Damian's cursing in many languages. Daddy shook his head and scooped Lian up into his arms.

"Was that the paint that Alfred was using on your room?" Daddy asked.

"Mmm-hmm," Lian said, getting a little nervous. Daddy was only this quiet when she was in _lots_ of trouble, really serious trouble.

Uncle Tim started laughing as Alfred made one of his very tired sighs. Lian looked at them and then back at Daddy who still had his most calm face.

"They may have to shave his head to get that paint off, Lian," Daddy said. "Depends on whether Alfred and Dick can get it off before it starts to bond to his hair. It was special paint so that Damian couldn't trash your room that way again."

"Oh," Lian said, playing with her bow's string. "He still killed Mr. Bun-Bun. And he's been mean to Uncle Tim."

"Grounded," Daddy repeated. "At least a month and that's not all."

He carried her out of the room and up towards her bedroom for whatever punishment she had coming. Lian sighed and settled into Daddy's arms. She'd know that she'd be in trouble so it was okay. Mr. Bun-Bun had his vengeance and Damian wouldn't hurt her stuffed animals ever again. It was totally worth it.

After the spanking, having to stand in the corner for an hour and then not getting desert, computer or TV rights for a whole month, Lian wasn't so sure that it had been worth it. 

At least until dinner when she saw that while Damian's hair was okay, his nails were still bright pink and his eyelashes and eyebrows still had pink tips. He looked like he wanted to kill her but Uncle Dick kept his hand on Damian's shoulder so that he couldn't do anything at all. Daddy kept an eye on Lian in the same way.

Yeah, it was worth it. Vengeance was so, so sweet.


	24. Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim has a realization after another highly frustrating and upsetting encounter with Damian. It leads to him doing something that he has never done before: talk about what happened to him with Lex.

Damian sauntered out of the room, every movement conveying enough smug satisfaction that Tim shook with anger at him. He shouldn't want to smash Damian's face in but every time he saw Damian lately the rage was so fierce that he could barely breathe. Tim sat down on the couch and curled up in a ball as he fought with his breathing. Hyperventilating and passing out was not an appropriate response, no matter how angry he was.

"When is this going to stop?" Tim complained to his toes.

He knew the answer. He'd known it ever since he met Cody. It wasn't going to stop. Tim was going to be messed up for the rest of his life. No matter how hard he trained, no matter how strong his body got, Lex had torn his heart and soul to shreds and they'd never be the same. Just thinking that made him want to scream, to cry, to throw something at the walls and the sheer power of his emotions nearly overwhelmed him.

"Oh hey," Cody said cheerfully from the door. "There you are. Um, are you okay?"

"I just, Damian, and this, it's… gah!" Tim put his forehead on his knees as coherency abruptly abandoned him. "I want it all to go away. Nothing I do seems to make it better. I'm stronger physically but I still get so angry and frightened and… gah."

Cody came in and sat on the floor next to Tim. He patted Tim's toes gently, prompting Tim to raise his face to meet Cody's eyes. The sympathy there made Tim want to snarl but he'd never snarl at Cody, especially since there was pain and understanding and all the complicated emotions that Tim hadn't been able to sort out in his eyes too.

"Why not talk to a therapist?" Cody asked. "You're never going to make any progress if you keep trying alone. I thought you would do that at the same time you started training physically but Sir said that I shouldn't offer you his name until you were ready for it. I kind of think that you are ready for it since you said you're having trouble with your emotions and that's what a therapist would help you deal with."

"Wait," Tim said, waving his hands and sitting cross-legged on the couch. "Back up. You go to a male therapist?"

"Oh, yes I do," Cody said. He didn't seem at all perturbed by being interrupted which made Tim feel bad because he'd have flinched and had a hard time coping if someone had done that to him. "He's really very good. Dr. Lance specializes in dealing with people who have experienced sexual abuse and trauma, especially ones with anxiety problems. I had a lot of problems with anxiety in the beginning. It was really hard coping once Sir saved me and I got out of the hospital."

Tim let Cody's words wash over him. The thought of going to a male therapist had him shaking and curling back into a ball. After a moment, Cody stopped talking and climbed up onto the couch to hold Tim and pet his hair gently. There were little murmurs of comfort in Tim's hair, little things that made no sense but helped him slowly feel better and uncurl.

"What did I say?" Cody asked once Tim sighed and pulled back.

"I don't think that I could go to a male therapist," Tim admitted with a shudder that shook Cody too. "That… I couldn't… Lex… I just couldn't!"

"Oh," Cody breathed, nodding that he understood. "That makes sense. I just don't deal well with women so I'm better with a male therapist. There are lots of females you could go to, you know. It doesn't have to be my psychiatrist. Or even a psychologist but they can't prescribe meds though so I don't know if that works, but then you might not want meds. They would make it hard for you to train. All it really needs is to be someone who specializes in sexual abuse and trauma, at least that's what I think because we do sort of have the same symptoms and they came from the same cause, you know. So I think the same sort of therapist would work for you as worked for me."

Tim laughed a little breathlessly. "I… do you really think it would help?"

"Yeah," Cody said. "It's kind of how I like talking about what happened to me. At first it was really hard but over time I felt better because I was able to get it all out and have someone else, someone who wasn't in love with me or a friend or family or whatever, tell me that yes, that was horrible and yes, I had every right to feel the way I did. The way I do. It's nice having that validation, you see."

Instead of answering, Tim nodded slowly. The part of his brain that still worked logically said that Cody made sense and that he should listen, but the other part of his brain, the part that Lex had shattered, screamed at him that it was too hard and he wouldn't be able to cope with finding a therapist, much less going in to see her the first time. Getting himself through the door was going to be impossible.

"I don't… know where to start," Tim admitted a couple of minutes later.

Cody smiled, not at all disturbed by having to wait for Tim to wrestle with his emotions into submission before he could talk. "Ask Roy. That's what I did. I asked my Sir and he found several therapists for me to try out. Dr. Lance was the second one that I went to. The first one was kind of kink-phobic and wanted to say that my liking any of what Lex did meant that I was horribly damaged because no one could possibly like things like that. He was a jerk, really. Make sure to have Roy make sure that they're kink-friendly therapists or you'll just waste time. And get really angry and hurt and confused and yeah. Learn from my mistake there."

He said it so sagely that Tim had to laugh and take Cody's hand. Cody beamed at him and squeezed Tim's fingers gently.

"Come with me when I ask Roy?" Tim asked. He hated that his voice came out tiny but Cody bounced with delight and flung his arms around Tim's neck to hug him tightly.

"Of course!" Cody said. "I'd be glad to!"

Before Tim had the time to get nervous about asking Roy, Cody was up off of the couch and pulling Tim out of the room, chattering a mile a minute about how excited he was and how much better Tim would feel once he did find someone he was comfortable with and had started working through what had happened. They found Roy in the kitchen with Alfred and Andrew where the others seemed to be gathering up snacks for TV watching of some sort.

Cody babbled the whole thing as Tim clung to his hand and tried not to have another panic attack. Roy's arms around him helped, as did Andrew calmly offering to give Roy the list he'd developed recently. Alfred pulled out a sheet of paper where he'd written down a list of therapists that he would recommend. By that time, Bruce and Clark came in and when they heard what they were talking about, Clark blurred away and came back with Bruce's list of potential therapists along with Dick's list.

As Roy, Bruce, Alfred and Andrew collated the lists, Tim let Clark and Cody hold him. It all seemed to be moving too quickly, though given how long Tim had been free from Lex maybe it was that he was moving far too slowly, especially if everyone else had had the time to build lists. Bruce's list had detailed analysis of the therapists personalities, styles and kink-friendliness. Alfred's had details on their financial status, including which government programs they participated in.

"Am I just slow or were they worried about me?" Tim murmured to Cody and Clark.

"Bruce and Alfred built their lists while you were still with Lex," Clark chuckled.

"You're not slow! Sir built his when I saw what Damian was doing to you," Cody agreed. "I mentioned that a therapist would help more than Damian could but at least he was trying to prompt you into doing something, though he really was doing it in the wrong way. Damian's good at doing the wrong thing sometimes, though I think he's just bad at dealing with people. It's like he sees that something is wrong and he tries to fix it but the way he fixes it is all backwards and twisted and weird. He's strange."

Tim started snickering, which set Clark to laughing and then Cody laughed too, cuddling up so that Tim was sandwiched between Cody and Clark. The others looked at them curiously but all Tim could do was laugh, especially as Dick walked in with Damian who glared at Tim.

"Nothing," Tim managed to say between snickers. "Nothing at all. Ignore us." 

A week later, Tim wished desperately that he was back in the kitchen battling Damian's hissy fit and flung silverware. Getting an immediate appointment with the psychiatrist that Roy and Tim had finally agreed on had taken a phone call and a lot of money thrown around, plus some discreet messages from Andrew and Dick. Deciding to actually show up had been traumatic enough that Tim hadn't been able to go alone. Roy sat at his side in the waiting room, twitching nearly as bad as Tim.

"Mr. Drake?" the receptionist called. "Dr. Davis can see you now."

"Come with me?" Tim desperately whispered to Roy.

"Of course," Roy said. He stood and offered Tim a hand. "I'll stay or go as you want, Tim."

Given the amount of terror that Tim felt as he walked into the office, it should have been a dungeon filled with torture devices and bloody corpses. Instead, it was just an office with soothing taupe paint on the walls, calm green and brown decorations and a huge fern behind Dr. Danielle Davis' desk. There was a couch on one side of the room that had a big comfy armchair next to it and a couple of comfortable bowl chairs in front of her desk. She smiled and stood as Tim walked in holding Roy's hand.

"Welcome," Dr. Davis said. "You're Tim, right? And Roy? I'm Dr. Danielle Davis. Please call me Danielle or Dr. Davis, whichever you prefer."

Tim nodded mutely while battling his emotions again, so Roy took over the introductions and gave Dr. Davis a basic understanding of what Tim's problems were. He barely heard what they said other than nodding at her suggestion to sit on the couch with Roy. Roy could hold him on the couch and Tim really thought he needed to be held to be able to do this. He was already on the verge of a panic attack and he truly didn't want to do that right now. Once Roy was holding him, it was easier to calm down and actually think, to listen to what Dr. Davis was saying.

"Tim?" she asked with just the right combination of authority and understanding. "I do need you to answer questions, too. Do you think you can do that?"

"As long as Roy stays, yes," Tim said. "I… don't think I can do this without him."

"That's fine," Dr. Davis said with a supportive smile. "Will you be all right listening to Tim talk about this, Roy?"

"Oh yeah," Roy said, his voice a good bit rougher than normal. "I know what happened, helped rescue Tim from it, but he's never been able to talk about it terribly clearly."

"Well, that's why he's here," Dr. Davis said so sensibly that Tim felt a tiny smile curl his lips. "So, Tim, why are you here?"

"I…" Tim swallowed down the fear and confusion, hoping that Cody was right that this would help. "I need to get over what happened to me. A friend of mine who went through the same things that I did suggested that therapy would help a lot."

"What exactly happened? Can you give me details of what you went through?" Dr. Davis said. She had a pad of paper in her lap but she didn't make any notes as she watched Tim and waited for him to reply.

Tim nodded, leaning into Roy's side as he started shaking again. "I was kidnapped by Lex Luthor. He used me as bait to get at Superman. W-while he waited for Superman to show up, Lex… cut my clothes off and, and molested me."

Dr. Davis nodded sympathetically, making a gesture with her hand that he should continue. Tim shut his eyes and took several deep breaths. He'd never admitted that before, even though everyone knew. Saying the rest was going to be horribly difficult.

"It wasn't much," Tim said, leaning into Roy's side. "Seriously, just some groping and a hicky on my neck, but the whole situation was… arousing to me? I hated that it was him but I liked the bite and being restrained and that confused me badly. No one in my life had explained anything about kink before so I had no frame of reference to understand what I was feeling.

"Shortly after that," Tim continued with a strange feeling of liberation that he really hadn't expected, "Lex started stalking me. I was sort of stalking him at the same time, though that was more in an effort to understand what I was feeling than anything. I've never been good at talking about my feelings. My parents… didn't encourage such things, so I didn't feel like I could talk to Roy about it, or my brothers or my adoptive father and his lover, or… anyone."

"You tried to work it out on your own?" Dr. Davis asked, still watching nonjudgmentally and not taking notes. "How did that work out?"

"Poorly," Tim admitted. He smiled at Roy when his arm tightened around Tim's side. "Lex used magic to kidnap me out of the middle of a date with Roy. We… he convinced me that what I wanted was okay and that no one in my family would understand, that Roy couldn't give it to me. Then we had sex and he let me go. I went home to talk to everyone and it…."

Roy sighed as Tim faltered. "It didn't go well at all. I was too floored by the revelation that Tim had enjoyed it to respond and the rest of his family were so horrified that he'd gone to Lex relatively willingly that they…"

"Were pretty harsh about someone I had somewhat positive feelings about," Tim completed for Roy.

"Oh dear," Dr. Davis said, shaking her head in dismay. "What happened next?"

"I went back to Lex and stayed there," Tim admitted. "I didn't think that I had a place at home anymore and I thought that I had to do whatever Lex wanted, even if it wasn't something that I enjoyed. He… He did some things that I liked mixed in with other things that I think were designed to break my will. A lot of it did a very good job of breaking my body. I have a lot of scars left. Just before Lex was preparing to collar me for good, Roy and my brothers rescued me, kidnapped me back. It took a while before I would admit that I needed the rescue and it took meeting my friend Cody to realize I wasn't alone."

She nodded and finally made some notes on her pad of paper, when she looked up her eyes were entirely too intent on Tim's face. Despite the fact that he sort of liked her already, Tim quivered at the expression on her face.

"I need to know exactly what he did to you, Tim," Dr. Davis said. "I know it's hard to talk about and hard for Roy to hear, but without knowing exactly what was done to you it's impossible to properly help you."

A shuddering moan was all that came out when Tim opened his mouth. He hated talking about the details, specifically because thinking about it tended to make him go catatonic or go into a panic attack. Roy's arms around him helped but it was the surprise of feeling Dr. Davis' hand settle over Tim's knee that shocked him out of the blooming panic attack.

"You can take it as slow as you like, Tim," Dr. Davis said gently. "We can write it down or look it up on the computer. Whatever you need to make this easier for you. There's time to discuss it later. For now, I'm just trying to diagnose you and determine what we need to do to make you feel better."

Tim nodded, clutching her hand so that she didn't retreat.

"It's kind of split," Tim whispered because he couldn't say this out loud, no matter how important it was. "Some things I liked. Some things I hated. Some stuff that I liked he took to the point that it hurt me."

"Start with the things that you hated," Dr. Davis said. She scooted her chair closer so that she could hold Tim's hand.

"He fed me," Tim said with an involuntary shudder. "I wasn't allowed any food or drink that he didn't give me. That… bothered me a lot. I was supposed to always kneel on a cushion next to his side and be available for him to touch as he wished. At first, I liked that but eventually it was as though I wasn't allowed to be out of arm's reach without his permission. Towards the end, he… wouldn't let me bathe or go to the bathroom without his permission, as well. He got to wash my body but I didn't. Lex chose my clothes, my shoes, everything I read or saw or heard. I didn't get to talk to people without his permission, even to acknowledge that they were in the room."

"What did he take too far?" Dr. Davis asked once Tim stopped talking.

"Bondage," Tim said more thoughtfully. "I like being restrained but Lex would tie me up for so long that it hurt, that my hands and feet would go numb. He claimed it was because I fought but my body would start twitching after a while." She looked discretely aghast at that so Tim shrugged slightly. "And beatings. I like being marked up both with bites and various sorts of beatings but Lex… I have lots of scars from what he did to me. He used to get annoyed when I was hurt too badly to do more. He was also very violent about anal sex. There's some scaring there, as well, though not as badly."

She nodded, obviously still annoyed by Tim being restrained for that long but controlling it better now that her moment of irritation was over. As Tim thought about it, he realized that a lot of what he'd hated about being with Lex was tied into the fact that Lex didn't respect boundaries and didn't take care of him. If it had been handled differently, Tim would have been perfectly happy to remain with Lex.

"And what did you like?" Dr. Davis asked once she'd made another couple of notes on her pad of paper. Roy chuckled into Tim's ear because she still hadn't let go of Tim's hand and balancing the pad while writing had looked rather awkward.

"Most of it at first," Tim admitted. "The bondage was and still is good, as long as it doesn't last too long. I love spankings. The beatings are hard, depending on what's used. Belts have… bad connotations now, as do whips, but floggers are fine. Lex rarely used those. Gags are hard because he would gag me for long periods of time, but I think different sorts of gags would be okay. The hard ball sort is what he liked and something else…" Tim shrugged helplessly. "I think that would all right. It's hard to tell since Roy and I haven't tried that. Um, I love being showed off, being watched. Lex didn't like that at all unless the situation was totally under his control. Groups are good, three or four people that I trust. Cuddling with Cody, my friend, is lovely. Um, biting, well, being bitten. Hair pulling, if it's gentle. Ummm…"

Tim wracked his brains but couldn't come up with anything else at the moment. Dr. Davis laughed, as did Roy, as she smiled at him reassuringly. Somehow, that laugh and smile made his lingering worry fade away. He relaxed into Roy's arms, only now aware of how tense Roy had been through his recitation and only because of how marked the contrast was between Roy's body relaxing with Tim's was compared to how stiff he'd been before.

When Tim looked up at Roy he was surprised to find that there were tears in Roy's eyes and slowly creeping down his cheeks. Tim brushed a tear away, his heart fluttering at the little kiss Roy pressed on Tim's fingertips. Despite the interruption, Dr. Davis let them hug for a long while, until Roy had stopped crying and Tim felt like he might just fall asleep. He looked at her when she cleared her throat.

"That gives me the background I need," Dr. Davis said. "Can you run through a list of symptoms with me? I'd like to see how many you have."

"Sure," Tim said, a little surprised but then again not. 

He was fairly certain that it would be the list of symptoms for PTSD. After checking the disorder out on-line, Tim was 95% certain that he had it. As she went down her list of symptoms, Tim had to say yes to most of them. He had feared for his life with Lex and had been through several severe injuries. He'd felt entirely helpless while there and had been horrified at himself that he couldn't see a way out, at the same time that he'd been afraid of doing anything that set Lex off. He was constantly fighting upsetting thoughts, had nightmares every night, and the flashbacks continued no matter what he did to try and fight them. Tim had had to stop watching the news coverage of Lex's trial because it was so upsetting to him. The only thing he hadn't noticed was the heart rate increases but Roy commented that he'd seen Tim panting and shaking after being accidentally exposed to reminders of his time with Lex so maybe Tim had been too upset to even see it at the time.

As she got to the avoidance list, Tim started blushing because he was doing pretty much everything on that list. He avoided everything that had to do with Lex, thoughts, feelings or places and people. There were huge chunks of time he couldn't remember and was fairly certain he never wanted to recall. Tim had abandoned practically everything that he used to enjoy, from school to patrolling to the simple pleasures of working on his computer or watching TV. That had added to his feelings of being somehow apart from the world and made him struggle to accept everyone's love. Despite that, Tim answered no on the last two of those questions. He'd always had trouble accepting happiness or love and he'd known that his life would likely be short from the moment he convinced Bruce to let him be Robin. That was separate from what Lex had done to him, though neither Dr. Davis nor Roy seemed to believe him on that point.

The hyperarousal list was another series of hits. He barely slept, was constantly irritable lately and Damian could trigger an angry outburst just by showing up. His concentration was horrendous lately and he did feel constantly on guard and jumpy.

"So this has all lasted more than one month?" Dr. Davis asked finally.

"Um, Roy rescued me at the start of Christmas break," Tim said thoughtfully, "and it's now spring so… yes."

"I imagine it's no surprise that you have practically the textbook definition of PTSD, Tim," Dr. Davis said.

"No, not much of a surprise at all," Tim said with a rueful little laugh. "I was pretty sure I would long before Roy saved me. I just didn't think I'd survive the experience long enough for it to matter."

"All right," Dr. Davis said with just enough of a glare out the window for Tim to know that she was thinking horrible, painful things on Lex and trying not to show it, "I have some more questions for you. Have you been hurting yourself, cutting, burning or self-harming of any sort?"

"Oh no," Tim said, a little appalled by the very thought of it. "Certainly not!"

"The training?" Roy said, nudging Tim with one finger.

Tim opened his mouth to snap at him but had to pause as he really thought about it. As he slowly shut his mouth again and squirmed, Dr. Davis cocked her head at him expectantly. Rather than look at her, Tim stared at his toes and tried to find some other way to frame training so hard that he literally couldn't stand up.

"All right, fine," Tim grumbled at Roy. "So the martial arts training until I drop might qualify as self-harm but I still see that as making sure that I never get taken advantage of that way again."

"What about drugs?" Dr. Davis asked. "Any illicit drug use? Prescription drugs?"

"Oh yuck," Tim said so automatically that both Dr. Davis and Roy laughed. "Certainly not. That's… no. Just no. No drugs, of any variety. I don't even like taking aspirin when I have a headache. And no alcohol, if you're planning on asking that next. Roy did have problems with addiction in the past and I've certainly learned from his example on that front."

"Good," Roy said firmly enough that Tim had to grin at him. "Someone besides me ought to get some benefit out of that mess."

Dr. Davis laughed and nodded as she noted that down. "Any suicidal feelings?"

"Not really," Tim said. "I wish that it would all go away but I don't want to go away."

"Good. How about eating problems?"

Tim sighed and nodded. "Lots of those. Lex put a lot of effort into controlling what I ate so I'm… struggling with the after effects of that. It is getting better but it's hard dealing with food even on good days. I try and be aware of what I'm eating or not eating. Roy and his daughter Lian help a lot with that. I know I'm not quite… rational about food right now."

"That's fairly normal for what you went through," Dr. Davis said with a calm nod. "How do you feel about your body? Too tall, too thin, too fat? Do you feel angry about how you look now?"

"I…" Tim paused as he thought about it. "I honestly don't think much about how I look visually. It's never been something that mattered to me. I pay a great deal of attention to what I can do physically but how my body looks is never terribly important. I assume you're not talking about how I feel about my clothes? My actual body?"

"Yes." Dr. Davis nodded and gestured for him to go on.

"It's never really been an issue," Tim said a bit helplessly because he wasn't sure where she was going with the question. "I like being strong and capable of doing what I want, which is part of why I do martial arts training but extreme dieting or worrying about specifics of my body has never been a problem for me. If I can hit and fight and do what I want, that's all that I care."

"So you never truly dieted before Lex?" Dr. Davis asked as if it mattered more than Tim thought.

"No." Tim shrugged. "I've never needed to. I don't eat anything terribly bad for me, of course, but I don't deny myself sweets or an occasional pig out. You need to feed yourself adequately to be able to perform physically. Other people's praise or criticism of my appearance always seems to surprise me."

"That's good," Dr. Davis said. She smiled approvingly, as if she was surprised by his response. Given Lex's extreme controls over his diet, Tim supposed that it was a little surprising. "One more question and we can discuss how to go forward from here. What do you want to get out of treatment?"

'Everything I lost' was what he wanted to say but Tim knew that the answer would be that he'd never be the same again. As much as he wanted to be the same again, he knew it wouldn't happen. They both waited as Tim tried to formulate his thoughts, Roy rubbing Tim's back gently and Dr. Davis with an expression that suggested she was prepared to wait for hours for his answer.

"I… want to stop having the panic attacks and flashbacks," Tim said. "I want to stop flinching every time Lex comes up. I want to be able to go back to school, back to work. I want to be able to walk down the street without being afraid. I want to be able to go into a restaurant and order something and then eat it without having to struggle with myself. I want, I want to have the bondage and beatings and biting and sex without feeling guilty about it or afraid that Lex warped me so much that no one really wants me, without thinking that they're just humoring me."

Roy made a sad little noise that prompted Tim to pat his leg and set his head on Roy's shoulder. He knew already that it wasn't just humoring him but that didn't change the part inside of him that said the exact opposite. What Tim really wanted was those voices inside of him to stop telling him he was broken and wrong.

"I want to be normal again but I know that won't happen," Tim sighed. "I never really was that normal but I'd like to be back to something more like _my_ normal, which was too smart and too driven and kind of geeky and brave enough to deal with whatever came my way, even if I couldn't talk about my emotions to the people who mattered to me. I want to stop being ashamed of myself all the time. I want to feel strong instead of weak and broken."

Dr. Davis smiled at Tim and nodded so confidently that he blushed a little that she seemed to think it was possible. As she made another couple of notes on her pad of paper, Tim hugged Roy. Maybe it would be possible or maybe not. Either way, he did feel better for having said it to someone unconnected with the family. Tim was glad that she'd been so calm and accepting about the kink. If she'd been hostile he probably would have never been able to go to someone else, no matter how bad things got for him.

"All right then," Dr. Davis said. "You're right that you will never be who you were, Tim, but you can be strong again. This will be different but you can definitely get better. We can certainly help you with the flashbacks, anger and eating issues and with the trauma from your time with Lex. Let's talk about what we can do to help you get there."

She flipped the sheet on her pad and started writing while talking about the various sorts of therapy Tim could try for each of the issues he had. The sheer size of the list of options made him relax. Maybe there was more hope than he'd allowed himself to feel. Maybe he could get over this with Roy's help and Cody's and Bruce, Clark, Dick, Jason, Andrew, and now Dr. Davis' help too.

'But not Damian's help,' Tim thought after a second. 'He's just a pill!'


	25. Out and About

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long night of patrol and nowhere near enough sleep, Steph goes to her favorite coffee shop to get her wake up coffee. While there she sees someone that she didn't expect to.

Steph yawned as she rummaged through her bag, searching for the twenty that she knew had fallen out of her billfold since the last time she'd closed it. Coffee, definitely needed some coffee, stupidly late night last night complete with her regular (stupidly hard to catch without destroying something she shouldn't have) villains meant that Steph needed her coffee more than normal. Especially when she realized that she was muttering half of that out loud instead of just thinking it.

"Sorry," Steph said to the guy in front her of her in line, "late night. RP game."

"Yeah, shows," the guy said with a snort of amusement that totally warranted Steph's death glare. He missed it because he'd turned back to the counter to give his order to the barista who totally took it as an opportunity to flirt outrageously.

Steph finally found the twenty, which was actually a ten, and ordered coffee with mocha because coffee and chocolate were always better than one or the other alone. As she waited for her order to be done she looked around the little shop. Despite being right on the edge of the campus where caffeine starved was the normal state of being, it was smaller than was probably wise with just a dozen tiny tables and rickety chairs that seemed designed to get people to leave instead of to stick around and read, study or work for a while. It was also busier than normal, packed with people who looked as tired as her, except for one corner table that made Steph stand up straight and stare.

Lian was kneeling on her chair instead of sitting properly, playing with two spoons and making them dance as Roy laughed and, wonder of wonders, Tim watched with a little smile. They looked like a perfectly normal happy family, which given everything that Babs had relayed about Tim's slow recovery and on-going therapy was really reassuring. Several months of therapy looked like they'd done Tim some serious good.

"Your order?"

"Oh, sorry!" Steph said, startled out of her staring by the cup thrust in front of her nose. "Mmm, god I needed this.

"Sure did," the barista muttered as she went back to work. Once again the death glare was ineffective, this time because it was countered by the eye rolls of doom.

Steph added more sugar to her coffee, aiming for slightly above the consistency of hot coffee-chocolate flavored syrup and sighing contentedly when she achieved it. Yeah, that was what she'd needed. When she turned back to the corner table Roy was leading Lian off to the bathroom with Lian doing that dance that meant that an explosion was imminent. Before she could talk herself out of it, Steph headed over to Tim while putting on her best happy-to-see-you smile.

"Hey Tim," Steph said. She blinked when he started and then blushed. "Lian looked like she'd had a bit too much to drink."

Tim laughed his mouse sneezing laugh and nodded. "She talked us into a day out. You heading off to class right away?"

"Nope, I'm getting my coffee infusion," Steph said. She nodded towards one of the chairs and he gestured for her to go ahead. "Late, late night. Too many things going on. I just got up and well, coffee was necessary."

"Really?" Tim snitched her coffee and sipped it, making a face at how sweet it was as he passed it back. "Okay, a really busy night. Bleh. How much sleep did you get? That's almost as bad as one of your all-nighters."

"Um, maybe two hours?" Steph said. 

Tim gave her The Look, the one that said even he knew to take better care of himself and he was notorious for being terrible at taking care of himself. She stuck her tongue out at him which made him laugh quietly, especially since she took another sip of her coffee and sighed like it was the best thing ever. Which it was. Ever. Seriously. By the time she was done letting the sugar and caffeine soak into her system Tim was grinning at her openly. Steph blushed despite her best intentions not to let Timothy Drake do that to her again.

Their friendship had shown signs that it might turn into something more but Tim had never made that move and Steph honestly hadn't thought he'd be happy with it. Even if he hadn't seemed aware of it, Steph had been quite aware of his preference for guys over girls. She'd never called him on it. Instead she'd just never given him the opportunity to do more than make vaguely interested noises in her direction that she studiously ignored. When he and Roy got involved even the noises had stopped, which was a relief. Still, she hadn't seen him in a while and it felt strange not to know everything that was going on with him.

"You doing okay?" Steph asked and then immediately whacked her forehead because that was exactly the question she hadn't intended to ask. "Rewind! Um, damn, sorry, I didn't mean to pry. We just haven't talked in so long that… yeah. Rewind and forget I said that."

"No, it's fine," Tim said with a smile that had gone sad and thoughtful. She missed the open grin. He didn't grin anywhere near enough, not that he ever had. "I'm doing a lot better. My therapist is really helping a lot."

"Oh good," Steph said. "You are talking to her about the whole cannot have emotions because that's not logical thing, aren't you? Sometimes I'd swear you were trying to be Vulcan or something."

"Steph," Tim huffed. His cheeks were the ones going red this time so Steph counted it as a win.

"Come on, you know you were messed up before that jerk happened," Steph said with a wave of her hand at him that was meant to look casual but somehow came out a lot more apologetic than she'd intended. "Not that we're not all pretty messed up. I mean, seriously. I know I am. We're all a mess in one way or another. Seems to be par for the course around here."

Tim shook his head at her, laughing his silent laugh this time, the one that meant that he was honestly amused instead of trying to pretend he was or uncertain or anything. She grinned at him and then laughed as Lian came out of the hallway to the bathroom and squealed in delight at seeing her.

"Steph!" Lian squealed and crawled straight into Steph's lap so that she could half-strangle Steph with a hug. "Hi Auntie Steph!"

"Hey, kiddo," Steph said while tugging at Lian's arm to try and get a little more air. "Hey Roy."

"Hi Steph," Roy said. He sat next to Tim and wrapped an arm around his back as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting her coffee flavored sugar infusion," Tim said. 

He grinned again when Steph blew a raspberry at him. As Steph got Lian settled down in her lap Roy smiled at them both. There was a hint of worry in his eyes but not as much as Steph would have expected given everything that Tim had gone through. His therapist must be really good, she thought, because she really hadn't expected Tim to be out and about so soon.

"You should come with us," Lian told Steph. "We're going to a movie and then out to lunch and then we're going to go shopping for a new bunny since Damian killed Mr. Bun-Bun."

"He didn't," Steph said, not in the slightest surprised by that. She could totally see Damian killing Lian's favorite stuffed bunny.

"He did!" Lian huffed. "But I made him pay for it. I got him with a pink paint arrow."

"Good job!" Steph said. They hi-fived which made Roy groan. "The brat could certainly do with some lightening up."

Lian nodded agreement while Tim laughed silently. She launched into a full retelling of the tragic decapitation of Mr. Bun-Bun and the Appropriate Vengeance That Descended On His Murderer, which Steph kind of thought was epic the way Lian described it. From the sound of it Roy better keep an eye on her or she was going to go rogue hero anytime soon. As Lian explained and Steph made encouraging noises at the appropriate points, Tim scooted closer to Roy and eventually put his head on Roy's shoulder. By the time Lian was making Steph laugh until she cried about Damian with pink hair and nails, Tim and Roy looked like they might never move again.

"Good job, girl," Steph said, offering her a solemn hand that Lian took and shook just as solemnly.

"Thank you," Lian replied. "So are you going to come to the movie with us?"

"Nope, sorry kiddo," Steph said. "I have to get to class. But you have fun for me, okay?"

"I will!" Lian said.

Once Steph finished off her coffee, she got a big hug from Lian who clung like a little monkey. Roy stood up and gave her one of his hearty, back-slapping hugs. Instead of letting Tim shrink back, Steph pulled him into a hug that made him stiffen and then sigh and cling to her as if he wasn't getting enough hugs.

"I'll come up and see you guys as soon as I get a chance," Steph said.

"So, we'll see you for Christmas?" Tim quipped with a quick glance at the spring sunshine pouring in the window.

He laughed at her death glare and Lian snickered. Obviously she needed to work on her death glares. Rather than let him get the last word, Steph gave him another hug before hurrying out of the coffee shop. She was going to be late if she didn't hurry, after all.

As she ran for her class Steph smiled to herself. She really would have to get up to the Manor to see everyone. It had been way too long and obviously she was missing more than she thought if Tim was able to go out, be around people and not freak out. Pure happiness at the thought of him getting back to normal made her grin as she ran into her class and slid into a chair just before the instructor started talking.

Despite the lack of sleep and nearly being late again Steph thought it was going to be a good day.


	26. Costume Design

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy catches Tim doing something unexpected and is delighted. He reassures Tim that it's okay and they spend some private time reconnecting before lunch.

Roy hummed as he headed up the stairs two at a time. Lian was busy having a tea party with Alfred, complete with real tea watered down for her. Cody and Andrew had headed off for one of Cody's doctor's appointment while Dick and Jason had gone out to do something mildly related to vigilante justice that sounded as though it was going to include shopping, sandwiches and a trip to a sex shop. As curious as Roy was about what that mission was about, he was more interested in finding out where Tim had disappeared to after breakfast.

The movie with Lian last week had gone well enough that Roy felt really good about Tim's progress. Danielle, Tim's psychiatrist, had been incredible over the last couple of months. Listening to Tim talk to her about what Lex had done to him still ripped Roy's heart out but it was good for Tim. 

Honestly, it was good for Roy too. There were a lot of things he was still working out on his alcoholism and she had some great advice for him. Add that to the whole Dom/sub thing they had going and their sessions with her were a great way to help them both work out their issues before any play happened. Not that they weren't having sex but the things they'd done so far were pretty mild. Roy could tell that Tim was a little impatient for more but Roy wasn't going to push it until he was sure that Tim could handle taking it to the next level.

"Hey," Roy called as he walked into their bedroom, "you want to come down for some lunch? Lian's having a tea party with Alfred but we can always get something for ourselves."

"Eep!" Tim squeaked and scrambled at the papers in front of him as his face went blazingly red.

Roy grinned and came over to look over Tim's shoulders. A dozen different version of the Robin suit looked back at him, some barely changed, some so completely different that they seemed like a totally new identity. Tim's shoulders hunched in that way that said he was berating himself so Roy bent down and hugged him from behind while setting his chin on Tim's shoulder.

"Not sure about the full cowl one," Roy commented. "Wouldn't your hair get really sweaty?"

"Y-you're not upset?" Tim whispered. He was shaking slightly but his hands curled around Roy's wrists when Roy kissed his cheek.

"No, not at all," Roy said. He kissed a little lower on Tim's neck, smiling at Tim gasped. "I don't think you're ready for patrol yet but designing a new suit takes quite a while. Figuring out your design ahead of time works a lot better than not. After all, I remember the Discowing outfit."

Tim started snickering, which was just what Roy wanted. He turned his face in a silent request for a kiss. Roy smiled and pulled Tim's chair around so that he could kiss Tim properly. Resting his hands on the arms of Tim's chair worked but pulling Tim's arms down from around Roy's neck so that he could hold them there worked even better. A breath exploded out of Tim's chest and he whimpered needily.

Roy smiled and met Tim's eyes. "Do you want me to help you design the suit? Or would you rather have it be a surprise?"

Tim's eyes clouded with a moment of confusion. He reached up for a kiss, jerked lightly against the hold on his wrists and then pouted as Roy turned his face away. Talking was still one of the things Tim had trouble with, though he'd always had trouble with that so it wasn't like it was new.

"I…" Tim shivered when Roy shook his head at the near whisper and then spoke louder. "I'd rather have you help me, though I don't want a bunch of pockets."

That made Roy laugh. He squeezed Tim's wrists and gave him the kiss he'd earned, pressing Tim back into his chair with the force of it. When he let Tim's lips go they were swollen and red. Tim's eyes had dilated enough that he looked half-drunk.

"More…" Tim whispered.

"You have to say it," Roy told him and was surprised that his voice automatically came out in the Dom register that Jason always snickered over. "Say what you want, Tim. You know I'll give it to you."

Roy grinned as Tim's cheeks went blazingly red. He was continually surprised at how much he enjoyed making Tim actually speak his desires out loud. Most of their relationship had been a matter of luck and guess, with Tim making vague comments and slight gestures while Roy attempted to interpret them. Hearing exactly what Tim wanted, demanding to hear it, felt good in ways that Roy was only just starting to identify as dominant.

"I…" Tim cleared his throat at the squeaked word and tried again. He kept his eyes open as he did it, locked on Roy's face as if Roy was an anchor against the emotions that obviously surged inside of him. "I want a spanking. And… to be bound. And for you to bite me. And, and… I want, I want you inside of me while you bite me."

Roy groaned against the pressure of his jeans and how they constrained his cock. It was a good thing though because hearing those words come out of Tim's mouth was almost enough to make him come without further stimulation.

"I'd say that you can't say things like that but I love it when you do so…" Roy said and then grinned as Tim laughed. "Strip. Clothes folded and on the dresser. No straightening up the desk or bedroom allowed. Lock the door."

The no straightening up rule made Tim grimace but he immediately started stripping when Roy released his wrists. Roy knew better than to make Tim not fold the clothes by now. He'd twitch and be unable to focus until they were folded. Once Tim was naked and the door was locked, Roy smiled and pulled him close. A kiss had Tim whimpering into Roy's mouth but grasping Tim's wrists and pulling him over to the bed by them got a long shuddery moan that made Roy grateful he hadn't demanded that Tim strip Roy's clothes off too.

"Over my lap," Roy ordered.

He barely had to say the words before Tim was draped over his lap, properly braced so that he wouldn't slide around and with his legs spread just enough to risk impact to his testicles if Roy wasn't careful. Roy smiled and ran a hand over Tim's back, letting it rest on Tim's neck. The tension started draining out of Tim's body only to return as Roy let his other hand caress Tim's rear end and flirt with his perineum.

"Thirty," Roy said because he already knew he didn't have a hard enough hand to take Tim down in less. If this was for recalibration instead of the sheer fun of it Roy would have said fifty or sixty. Jason might be able to take Tim down in twenty blows but Roy knew his limits. "Count the blows loudly or I stop. Repeat it back to me."

"Thirty blows," Tim said in a loud clear voice that reminded Roy of Tim preparing for mission in the old days. "I have to count out loud or you'll stop, Sir."

"Very good," Roy said and grinned that Tim squirmed and blushed. "Take the praise. You know the rule."

"Yes Sir, sorry Sir," Tim said in a much smaller voice. He looked over his shoulder at Roy and smiled shyly. "Thank you Sir."

It still made Roy want to shout with joy that he'd managed to get Tim to accept a rule that he had to accept all praise given to him during a scene. Given how much he ran himself down the rest of the time, accepting praise here was wonderful and ego-boosting for both of them. Tim settled back down and Roy waited for a count of thirty before lifting his hand and swatting Tim's ass as hard as he could bear.

"One!" Tim gasped. His whole body shivered and then relaxed.

The second blow got a similar response, as did the third, fourth and fifth. By the eighth Tim was squirming a little between the blows but he still rocked back for them. It took fifteen blows to the same spot for Tim to start pulling away, which was about what Roy expected. He really did have to talk to Jason again on how he managed to get Tim to do that in five or six blows.

On sixteen he switched sides and Tim bucked so hard at the move that Roy laughed and gave him a couple of seconds extra to catch his breath. One of these days he was going to keep on the same spot until Tim either called it off or Roy saw the first signs of bruising. Tim asked for it frequently enough that Roy might eventually overcome his reluctance to bruise Tim. By the end of the next fifteen blows there was a wet spot on Roy's jeans from Tim's cock weeping and Tim was panting and shuddering. His ass was bright red; he groaned desperately when Roy let his hand rest on the reddest side.

"Good?" Roy asked.

"So good," Tim moaned.

"Mmm, go get the cuffs and bring them back to me," Roy ordered.

He took the opportunity to strip his shirt off quickly. Watching Tim's bright red ass cross the room to the little toy chest they'd put in the closet was almost enough to make him open his jeans and take himself in hand but this was for Tim first and Roy second. Tim knelt, jerking when his heels contacted the sore spots on his ass, and with a level of ceremony that still made Roy feel a little odd, pulled out the leather cuffs that Cory and Andrew had given them after Tim started therapy.

Tim came back and knelt in front of Roy, holding his hands out to offer the cuffs. They shook. Roy looked down at Tim for long enough that Tim stilled and his hands stopped shaking. He blushed when Roy started chuckling.

"You are the sexiest thing I have ever seen, including Dick in his Speedo," Roy murmured.

"Thank you Sir," Tim said as he squirmed and obviously wished that he could disagree.

The squirming stopped as soon as Roy took the cuffs and wrapped them around Tim's wrists. When Roy had Tim stand and put his hands behind his back, Tim moved so fast that he seemed almost Kryptonian. Given all of Tim's training, linking the cuffs together wasn't really restraining him but the symbolism of it was what counted.

"On the bed," Roy ordered.

Tim crawled onto the bed awkwardly, balancing on his knees and then awkwardly lowering his upper body so that he was on display for Roy. He spent some time just touching Tim before he reached for the lube and condoms. One second of thought had Roy only unzipping his pants and not taking them off. When Roy rubbed up against Tim, the fabric of his jeans made Tim gasp and then moan.

"Good?" Roy asked.

"Yes!"

The sheer arousal in Tim's voice made Roy growl appreciatively. He took his time lubing Tim up and stretching him out. As much as Tim liked to rush the prep stage, Roy liked making Tim whimper and then beg for more. Today it didn't take long before Tim was begging 'please, please, please' in that broken voice that always ruined Roy's self-control.

Roy made quick work of the condom and then grasped Tim's hips and slowly slid into him. Between the spanking, the prep and the lube, Tim opened up for Roy easily. The whispered 'please' litany turned into a groan wrenched out of Tim's gut, which then turned into a startled gasp when Roy hauled him up and into his lap. The zipper of his jeans had to be scraping against Tim's sore ass but Tim didn't seem to care at all.

"Mine," Roy growled into Tim's ear.

"Yours, Sir!" Tim gasped as he rocked and thrust down against Roy's cock.

It felt like too much control for Tim to have right now so Roy pushed up until they were kneeling nearly vertical and used his knee to push Tim's legs together. He clamped his legs tight around Tim's legs, restraining them and then wrapped both arms around Tim's torso to hold him still. That pinned Tim's arms between them but from Tim's clench on his cock it was just what Tim wanted.

"All mine," Roy repeated. "Everything about you is mine. My beautiful boy. So damned sexy!"

He started fucking into Tim, using his leverage to make every plunge hard and fast. There was no way that either of them would last but Roy hardly cared right now. There was always another round tonight or later in the afternoon. As he fucked Tim, Roy listened to the moans and gasps, the way Tim stuttered as he tried to thank Roy for the praise. The rising excitement was easy to track. As Tim reached the edge Roy bit down on his shoulder as hard as he dared.

"Ahhhhh!" Tim screamed as he came so hard that it felt like he was trying to rip Roy's cock off.

Roy growled around the flesh of Tim's shoulder, rode out Tim's orgasm and then bit a second spot as he pounded towards his orgasm. It didn't take long, only a handful of strokes, before Roy came too. Tim shuddered and relaxed back against Roy, who carefully guided them down to cuddle on the bed. Somehow he managed to avoid putting either of them in the wet spot, which was a blessing given how much Tim hated landing in the wet spots. They'd forgotten to put down a towel to protect the coverlet but that was okay. Roy would wash it before bedtime.

"Beautiful," Roy murmured against Tim's hair.

"Mmm, thank you Sir," Tim said and yawned. "Lunch?"

That prompted a laugh and a hug that made Tim laugh almost like Cory. "I get my cuddle time. That's another rule."

This time Tim really did giggle though he tried to hide it by turning his face into the pillows. Roy slipped out of him, took care of the condom and unhooked the cuffs so that he could hold Tim properly. They lay together, Roy gently rubbing Tim's back while Tim traced nearly perfect circles on Roy's stomach, for long enough that Roy heard Lian test their doorknob. Tim tensed but Lian just clapped her hands and whistled as she skipped down the hallway. She skipped heavily enough that it sounded like a herd of small elephants whistling an off-key Disney Princess tune.

"My Tim," Roy whispered as Tim relaxed again.

"Yes," Tim said. He leaned up on one elbow to meet Roy's eyes with an entirely too serious expression. "I am yours. So glad that I'm yours, Roy."

"Good," Roy said and did his best not to look like he wanted to burst into tears of pure joy. "Now get back down here for my cuddle time!"

The serious look dissolved into laughter as Tim cuddled back up. They'd have to get dressed and go downstairs soon enough. For now, Roy wanted to hold Tim and remind himself that Tim was safe, happy and healthy. After everything that had happened, Roy needed these times as much as Tim did and that was okay.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of Catamite. *sighs* I had plans on writing more but I got severely blocked and I just don't see myself writing anymore. I feel like I left Tim in a good place though. He's on his way to recovering from Lex's abuse. Sure, he's still got issues, but he has his family with him, Roy by his side and he can finally see possibilities in the future once more.
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed reading this as it came from a very personal and deep place for me.


End file.
